The Journey Continues
by TFALokiwriter
Summary: A fictional take on the fictional universe created in Galaxy Quest, this time with the fictional characters Dr Lazarus, Peter Taggart, Tawny Madison, Chen, Laredo, and "Roc" Ingersol. Basically a fictional take in the events depicted in "Galaxy Quest".
1. Unusual

Today had started normal, save for the Meechans coming up unexpectedly and firing at the Protector.

"Lieutenant, announce emergency evacuation!" Peter shouted. "And activate self destruct."

"Computer, announce ship wide evacuation," Lieutenant Tawny said. "And activate self destruct!"

Lazarus looked over toward Peter, half in surprise, and half in shock. Never did he order a evacuation. His motto was 'Never give up! Never surrender!' something that he abided by. Now, here the captain was towing Laredo out along with several other members off the command deck. The computer announced a ship wide evacuation. The sides of the starship were being struck by the plasma canons of the Meechans. People were going into the escape pods. Some were not fortunate to escape the plasma cannons as they were destroyed.

"Commander, why are you not surrendering?" Lazarus asked.

Peter looked over toward Lazarus.

"Because it is worth saving my crew!" Peter replied.

The protector trembled from side to side with a loud boom knocking down the humans in the wake. Peter took Tawny's hand then helped her up. They came to a emergency senior officer escape pod where Chen was buckled up, hands on the side of the metal pressed against his chest, and his eyes boggling. The crew got into the escape pod. Peter slapped on the rounded device to the side. The doors closed as the wail of the emergency evacuation became mute. Then the escape pod dejected as had the other pods flying away from the damaged starship.

Peter sat down onto a chair with a sigh.

Laredo and Tawny watched the ship be surrounded by Meechans and then, quite simply, it exploded taking the two Meechan starships with it. Lazarus looked over toward the unsure man who was never 'unsure' but mostly a 'I am hell sure what I am doing' with his hands going through his hair and his head pale. It was unsettling to Lazarus as he sat down beside the Commander then buckled himself in.

The escape pod was heading directly back to Earth.

"Peter," Lazarus said. "We could have used Omega 13."

Peter lowered his hands down to his side then flashed a sad smile at the Mak'Tar.

"I know." Peter said.

And the triangle escape pod followed a fleet of other escape pods in the direction of Earth.


	2. 14 years later

**. . . . 2399. . .**

 **. . . Starsearcher academy. . .**

"And that, is how you get out of a no-win scenario." Peter finished his lecture as the screen dipped to black.

One member of the cadets raised their hand.

"Yes, you with the bird wings." Peter said.

The cadet lowered their hand.

"Why did you not use Omega 13?" Came a high pitched cadet.

"Because I already knew what had to be done," Peter said. "I am open for questions," A row of hands raised. "Other than giving up and surrendering," A majority of the hands lowered. "And my relationship with former Lieutenant Tawny Madison," A few hands lowered. "And my recent estrangement with Doctor Lazarus." Some hands lowered. "No, I am not going back there."

The few hands that lowered down left a somewhat packed lecture hall.

"Thank you for spending your time listening to my lecture on getting out of no win scenarios," Peter said. "This lecture is over."

Soon as Peter walked off the stage he saw several unusual humans with a bowl hair cut, gray suits with the NSEA emblem on their chest, and their hands packed into a fist and put it on their chest then bowed their heads. It had been some time, well, really, fourteen years since someone ever did that kind of charade for him. It brought back memories of his time commanding the _Protector_. . . Before he destroyed her.

Peter raised an eyebrow.

"Commander Taggart," Came the tall one. "We are in need of your help. I am Mathesar."

"I am not a Commander these days," Peter said. "I am retired. Go ask NSEA for help."

Peter walked past the man only to be stopped by the skinniest and most healthy looking of the group.

"We are in need ooof yoooour service, I am Teb," Tev said. "Yoooou are our onnlly hhhhooooppppee."

Peter looked over toward the crowd that was slowly getting up and heading up.

He did not need a scene to be made so he looked over toward Tev who let go of his shoulder. They spoke strangely, as though they had some vocal impediment, or more as though they were aliens. He lived among aliens for a majority of his live on Pegasus II where everyone rebelled against Governor Kudos for bringing in a entire group of limousines at the expense of credits to the planet. He also painted one of them red and the rest brown that resembled Santa Clause's sleigh pulled by reindeer.

"I do not like the joke you are playing with me," Peter said. "But I am not going along with it. I am going to be humiliated in front of everyone, again, not after the Protector." He furrowed his eyebrows at the two. "Go find someone else who will help you."

He started to walk past the group of four.

"No one wants to help us." Mathesar said.

"I will think about it." Peter said, continuing to the doors.

Peter heard what sounded like a strange gasp or . . . something close to a laugh. He looked over to see their faces had brightened up and they were quite ecstatic. He turned his head away resuming to the doors where the crowd had parted to reveal Tawny who was dismissing away any rumors. Peter stopped, dead center, in his tracks to see the woman who had a fling with for the first two years of the mission standing there. Tawny had a smile at one of the cadets. The one who broke his heart. That simple smile broke his damn heart. He went right past Tawny using his self control.

For the last two years of the mission, Peter had gotten over it.

Fourteen years later, they got together and then broke up: twice.

It all came to a end ten years ago when she asked, " _Why did you not use Omega 13_?"

Tawny turned around noticing that Peter had walked past her.

"Peter?" Tanwy said, her head turned in the direction of Peter. "Is that you?" She turned toward the interested cadets with a apologetic smile. "I am sorry, maybe another time."

The cadet's eyes turned into hearts as they watched the smokin' hot Lieutenant walk after the semi-retired Commander. It had been years since she had spoken with Peter, ten years since they broke up for the second time in a row, and years since she had seen him. Chen was involved with the latest 'Digital Conveyor' experimental project. Laredo was a pilot instructor. Lazarus? He was raising his fifteen year old sister he brought into the world months after the Protector had been destroyed. He chose family over duty. Tawny? She was part of some trials for a few people who went against the Galactic Peace Accord. She missed the ship, and she genuinely wanted answers like most of the command crew.

"Peter!" Tawny said.

Peter turned in the direction of Tawny, his mood sour.

"What do you want?" Peter asked.

Tawny frowned, folding her arms.

"It's been years since I last saw you," Tawny said. "Where have you been? In Navada? In Kansas?"

"No, I have been enjoying the last fourteen years happily without being grilled with questions," Peter said. "Those questions." She understood what he meant by that question. "I have been here in San Fransisco, moved here after you asked _that question_ that I respectfully will not answer." Peter was different, in a light, not the brave womanizer who got his shirt torn off in half of the missions and his jacket shredded to pieces. After all, he had no control in his abs being shown mercilessly against his will. "So far I have been enjoying my retirement."

"You? Retired?" Tawny said. "Dream on, Commander, we both know you-"

"Things change, Tawny," Peter interrupted. "I haven't stepped onto a spaceship in fourteen years."

Tawny looked at Peter in shock and her mouth halfway open, there was a look of loss about her face.

Shock.

Dismay.

Confusion.

Mathesaur suddenly appeared along side Peter.

"Coooommander, have yooouuu decided yet?" Mathesar asked.

Peter looked over toward the man.

"Let me sleep it over." Peter said, then he went past Tawny.

Tawny looked over toward the figure of Peter disappearing in the hallway then she looked over toward the direction of Mathesar was grinning from ear to ear with his companions behind him. One of them was a woman who seemed to be about Tawny's height but maybe two feet taller. They had uniforms that were gray, completely, gray, they lacked a certain flavor to them.

"Who the hell are you?" Tawny asked.

"Mathesar," Mathesar said. "And you must be Lieutenant Tawny Madison," He gently took her hand then kissed it. The others behind him repeated her name. "It is an honor."

Tawny yanked her hand back raising both eyebrows.

"What the hell are you?" Tawny asked,wiping her hand off.

"Thermians, from the planet Thermia," Mathesaur said. "We will take ooour leave, Lieutenant. I am sooo sooorry fooor the disturbance. We will nooot leave our waste ooon yooou. Accidental. My athoousand apoooloogies."

No one had called Tawny 'Lieutenant' in years.

They put their hands on their chest then quickly left. They were creepy and unusual, but they looked so human. Definitely had to be some strange alien race. She looked down to see her hand was covered in slime. Tawny quickly made it to the restroom where she washed her hands, shuddering, at what was possibly the most disgusting thing she ever felt. Two hand washes afterwards she came out of the restroom. She had to call a old friend afterwards about Peter's strange behavior. It was so unlike Peter.


	3. Talking about a friend

"Hello, Tawny." Lazarus said, over the Vox as he was making Sausage Kep-Mok bloodtick soup.

"Hello, Lazarus," Tawny said, getting her shoes off on her couch. "I just met Peter today at Starsearcher academy."

Lazarus stopped spinning the spoon in the bowl looking over to the Vox.

"Starsearcher?" Lazarus said, in surprise.

"You heard right." Tawny said, as Lazarus could picture her nodding.

"Why is he not on another ship?" Lazarus asked.

There was a brief pause.

"I don't know." Tawny said.

"It is unlike the commander's character to not return into space." Lazarus said, dipping in some cheese into the water followed by the bugs screeches.

"I agree," Tawny said. Lazarus put in cut sausage into the bowl. "I am hoping you know why."

Lazarus put in some spice into the bowl then he put it onto a stove and turned the heater up.

"Rest assured, I do not know why, I have lost contact with him exactly fourteen years ago, nine months, three weeks, one day, four hours, and six minutes," Lazarus said. "Vox, dial in Chen," Lazarus resumed the slow stirring on the stove as his sister T'Spol was busy outside playing with a Quehal. It was a large cheetah like beast with the head of a cat, tail of a cat, and the torso of a Cheetah. It was native to a planet close to where Tev'Meck had orbited. "I have been pleasantly living in New York City with my sister."

"How is she?" Tawny asked.

"A ordinary fourteen year old," Lazarus said. He could hear the sound of the Quehal jumping into the house through the open window. "On time for dinner, finally."

"Yello, this is Chen." Came Chen's voice.

Lazarus took out two bowls from the cabinet and two spoons. He went over setting the table by putting the spoons on the mats and the napkins alongside. He listened to the conversation Tawny was sharing with Tawny. T'Spol took her boots off then put on her slippers and put the boots alongside the door. She had gills alongside her head and she lacked any form of hair. The only way to tell if she were a girl was by her face and her female characteristics. He came over to the kitchen where the conversation was going all over the place.

"The Commander is a man of many things," Chen said. "But a liar? No way! I served with him for four years, as had you, we both know he wouldn't lie about where he has been."

"Then why has he been on Earth for so long?" Tawny asked.

"Perhaps he is taking a break." Chen suggested.

"Fourteen years is not the kind of break a commander will usually take." Tawny said.

"Okay, a _vacation_!" Chen said. "Perhaps he is on drugs or something, something that makes him not the Commander we all know and respect."

"That would make sense." Tawny said.

Lazarus felt disgust.

"The Commander will never take drugs. That is illogical. He would not stoop that low," Lazarus said, stirring inside the heated bowl where the sound of hissing became louder and louder. "Commander is likely self pitying himself for whatever he has done in the previous months."

There was silence.

"We should assemble a support group," Chen said. "That might help him."

"Or maybe we can throw a surprise party!" Tawny said.

"You know how the Commander hates parties that he is not aware of." Lazarus said.

"Well, he is going to love it," Tawny said. "You know. . . I miss the ship too. Exploring new worlds, going where no man has gone before, and new civilizations. I miss the action."

"I miss Miranee." Chen said, sadly.

Lazarus was sixty years old.

Peter was forty-six.

And quite frankly, they still had a youthful glow about them just like the rest of the crew members. Lazarus often found himself wondering,'What might Peter look like these days?'. Lazarus appeared unchanged, frozen in time, he was fortunate to be part of a species that outlived most humans. He could have graying hair for all Lazarus knew. Lazarus had a sigh. After the destruction of the Protector, he would go to places that were not there. His lab. The mess hall. The command deck. It took him time to readjust out of the habits that had been born on the _Protector_.

"I have an idea," Lazarus said. "Why not we throw the fourteen anniversery reunion at Eight twenty-two tomorrow at Starsearcher academy?"

"I can book it." Tawny said.

"I will be there," Chen said. "Watching bunnies be digitized all day gets boring. I will call Laredo and ask him if he would like to go. Make sure to give me directions to which part we are throwing the party."

"Tawny out."

"Chen out."

Lazarus shut the Vox then he scooped the yellow screeching fluid into two bowls. He put a lid over the bowl then used both plates to bring them over to the table. He placed them down on the mats then he went over to his chair and sat down. T'Spol came back out of the hallway in her PJ's that were totally Buzz Lightyear. The Quehal went down straight into T'Spol's room purring. The door slid to a close right behind the feline cat.

"Brother, what was that about?" T'Spol asked, sitting down at the table.

"I will be attending a reunion tomorrow," Lazarus said. "And you must make sure to get your homework completed, do not allow in-"

"Strangers, guys with black attire and dark sunglasses, ugly menacing aliens requesting me to come out and come to their starship," T'Spol interrupted. The fainest smiles grew on Lazarus's face. "I know the drill." She shook her hand with a wave. "I can defend myself. And if the house is intruded, I will use the house escape pod that will send me directly to somewhere you have preprogrammed it for."

Lazarus nodded.

He had set it to Peter's residence, wherever he is, any residence he may be. He had the escape pod constructed when she was five years old and there were word of Meechan's possibly coming over to finish what they did to Tev'Meck by coming to his home. Lazarus would then force T'Spol into the pod, set it to eject, and allow them to kill him under the price of her safety. Lazarus could trust Peter with his sibling. The code word for it to send directly to Peter's was 'Tev'Meck' with his voice but under a house invasion? Code words 'House invaded' then it will head directly to the nearest police quarters. That required again Lazarus or T'Spol's voice. It recognized T'Spol's voice as it had voice recogniztion software.

"I have taught you well." Lazarus said.

T'Spol nodded.

"That you have,brother," T'Spol said. "It is only logical." She looked down to see a familiar meal on the table. "My favorite!"

And then they started eating.


	4. Meeting Sarris

Peter awoke on the couch, his neck aching,and his buttoned T-shirt was the only article of clothing he had on. Peter heard knocking from the door. He looked over to the screen across that had his agenda. One of which read 'Attend reunion at Starsearcher academy at 8:45 AM'. It was currently 4:58 AM. He pressed a button making the screen turn into darkness as the knocking repeated.

Great, it is probably Tawny reminding him in person.

Peter was half awake, half asleep.

"I am coming,Tawny!" Peter said, putting on what was his boxers.

 **Knock**. **Knock**. **Knock**.

Peter came to the door then opened it, "Jeeze, Tawny, I am not even dressed-" Only to stop when he saw Mathesar and his delightful crewmates as it seemed to be. "Oh," Peter felt his IQ go below five points. "Hi Mathesar."

"We are in need ooof yoour help, Cooomander." Mathesar said.

"Ooookay," Peter said. "Hold on, I need a quick shower." He took a step aside, allowing the door to open widely. "Excuse the mess. I wasn't aware that you were coming."

"Nooonsense," Mathesar said, entering as had the four others. They came into the living room where they looked up rather than down at first mind boggled. Peter shut the door looking at them quite strangely. They were still huddled in a group strikingly reminding Peter of The Delightful Children from _Kids Next Door_. "We have been here plenty oooof times."

"Huh?" Peter said.

"Just tooo make sure this was yoour living quarters," Mathesar said. "We have recently defeated oooour nervoooous persooona and boooldly met yoooou. Never give up!"

"Never suurrender!" The rest finished.

Peter picked his pants off the floor then went down the hall.

"I'll be right back," Peter said. Teb touched the miniature replica of the original _Protector_ on the table that was remarkably clean unlike the apartment. "Do not touch the _Protector_ replica!"

Teb yanked his hand back appearing to be shy but otherwise blushing-that-he-touched-the-damn-original-replica-of-the- _Protector_ -.

"Hooow did it feel?" Mathesar asked.

"Like plastic!" Teb beamed back.

They laughed like sea otters then they stared in awe at the starship shaped like a magnet. Though one of them in particular, Laliari, quietly started to clean the apartment up. Teb followed afterwards and so did Neru. In half an hour the entire apartment was spot clean. Laliari took the white gloves off grinning as were the rest of the group. They had fun, unlike how people would feel, cleaning up the Commander's apartment. They had his other clothes in a pile. Mathesar placed the laundry into the cleaning machine then pressed a button where it made smooth rolling sounds.

Peter came down the hall wide awake and bushy tailed.

"Okay," Peter said. "I will help."

"Yay!" The Thermians cheered.

"Now, what exactly do you need help with?" Peter asked.

"Just a treaty with Sarris tooo noooot harrass oooour greatest scientific specialists," Mathesar said. "We have oooour starpoooort prepared fooor oooour arrival. I will explain tooo yooou the histoooory ooof my race." Mathesar noticed Peter wasn't in the Commander's uniform just in a jacket, white shirt, jeans,and dark shoes. "Oooon the way toooo the ride. We have a Hoooover-van prepared foooor the trip."

Peter then noticed the entire room was clean,spot to bottom, and he whistled.

"Man," Peter said. "Who cleaned this?"

"We did!" Neru said.

* * *

They did, in fact, explain the race of their history. It had fallen into despair one hundred years ago due to a being named Roth'h'ar Sarris who delivered a crippling blow to the Thermians when they were busy fighting over politics. They were enslaved by the Sarris Dominion, oppressed and antagonized as well. Their society fell apart because of Sarris. Then one came the logs of the _Protector_ and a majority of the security cameras had survived. Peter nearly spat out what he was drinking when they mentioned the _Protector_ that was mentioned ever so casually. He was in the van when they came to how their society reformed, became better, developed newer technology, and joined the NSEA shortly after accomplishing flight. The joining was quiet and discreet.

"And we have been wondering what is Omega 13." Teb finished.

"It makes time go back thirteen minutes, or really, just 13 seconds," Peter said. "There is a ongoing debate on it if it could be used as a form of nuclear destruction. My tech sergeant-" Peter stopped, briefly closing his eyes, reminding himself he wasn't a commander of a starship. "Mr Chen assured me it was a get-out-of-a-mess free card."

Peter looked over to see the ground was feet away from the van.

"What the hell?" Peter said, looking over toward the Thermians.

"Hoooold oon, coooomander." Mathesar said.

Peter looked over toward the window to see the Earth fly, far, far, away.

"What kind of trick is this?" Peter asked, turning his head away with a furious look.

"This is nooot a trick," Mathesaur said. "We are bringing you tooo Sarris tooo discuss the treaty."

Then it hit Peter.

"What treaty?" Peter asked.

"The ooone yoooou are goooing toooo talk ooooover with Sarris." Mathesar said.

The van flew into a wormhole and the Thermians grabbed onto their handles except for Peter who crashed his side against the van probably bruising his shoulder and was sent crashing against the other side. Peter was left in the air freely floating. He saw the Thermians were unfazed, smiling, right back at him looked over to see different shades of darker colors. He realized he was in a wormhole. A freaking wormhole! He hadn't been in a wormhole in years! Not since the Protector got stuck in one and it showed the deaths of his crew and the other times they had been in a wormhole.

First time in fourteen years going out to space.

IN A HOVER VAN!

The Hover Van zipped out of the wormhole and gravity returned. Peter landed hard on his back on the floor where he could see the four Thermians looming over him.

"A thooousand apoollooogies," Mathesar said. "We shoooould have warned yooou aboooout the turbulence."

And all this time he thought they were Norwegians who had some problem finding a Commander for their ship. Peter often was seeked for advice by those who were assigning starships to the newer generation of NSEA OFFICERS. It made helping them easier by looking up the list of commanders they had come up with and read their files. He checked for: motto, relationship with others, and background. Eventually, one time,he narrowed down it down to Commander William Shajher. Handsome, attractive, and straight off another ship that had been lost nearly all those aboard due to a cloudy substance being he claimed was sapient.

Peter got upright hearing a thud.

"We are in the Starpooort." Mathesar said.

The side doors opened to reveal two other Thermians in matching suits with glowing faces. Peter fell out of the vehicle landing straight on his knees looking about the room. He looked over to see there being large squid like beings inside the Hover-Van. In a white flash Mathesar and his group reappeared. Peter got up on his two feet stumbling back, his legs felt wibbly wobbly, and it was like he was walking in jello. His space legs were a bit off but in time they would return. He noticed the walls were painted gray and the doors were shaped like a stop sign with the door being a lighter shade of gray completed by a circular window in the dead center.

The four Thermians got out of the van.

"Are yooou alright, Cooomander?" Mathesar asked, sounding concerned.

Peter turned in the direction of Mathesar.

"It depends if NSEA is aware of this meeting." Peter said.

"They are aware," Mathesar said. "We understand yooou have nooot been in space fooor foourteen years," Laliari stepped forward with a rounded pipe shaped item with a rounded edge and a small screen. "A thoousand apooolooogies."

Laliari placed the item on Peter's neck, shortly after his legs felt fine and it was painless.

"You apologize a lot," Peter said. "And what did you just do?"

"Treat your space jelly legs," Mathesar said. "Mooost oooof the NSEA members who came here tooo see our marveloooos renditiooon needed it," Mathesar walked right past Peter. "We have yooour uniform prepared," Mathesar had a hand gesture that flippant. "Laliari and Neru will bring you to your quarters. Sarris will be here in thirty-twooo minutes. We will see yoooou oooon the coooomand deck."

"Command deck?" Peter asked, his eyes widened and his eyebrows raised.

"Yes!" Mathesar went out first leaving Neru and Laliari with him

* * *

Getting from Starport to whatever ship he was on turned out to be easy. He nearly walked into the restroom where there were several squid like beings sitting on the urinals. He had to cover his eyes walking out and nearly ran into the wall as he did so. Neru had to guide Peter out of the room noting that this was a first that a commander would get lost in his ship. Peter followed the two Thermians who were speaking in a different language, that sounded a lot like seal or otter speaking, both of which seemed to be excited.

They came to a unexpected halt so Peter bumped into them.

"W-we-We are he-he-here." Laliari said, her voice sounding like a high pitch boy.

"Laliari, your translator needs to be repaired," Neru said. "I told you to get that fixed."

"I like it." Laliari said.

"You are a girl and you have not changed your appearence to a male, now please, get it fixed," Neru said. "Your female form is the one you prefer to walk around in, is it not?"

"I like female form," Laliari said. "It feels so. . . new."

"Then get your translator repaired." Nery said

"Yes, brother." Laliari said, then she departed down the hall where a couple of Thermians went past her.

"Sisters," Neru said, with a sigh. "Sometimes you got to love them."

"Then what's wrong with Mathesar's translator, and everyone elses?" Peter asked.

Neru turned toward Peter.

"English is as much alien to us as you are to us," Neru said, observing Peter's attire. "We have the new 2399 uniforms. I believe the new uniforms would respectfully be able to ensure we are being serious with Sarris and you are as well."

"I haven't been a commander in years." Peter said.

Neru stepped aside.

"Time to dust off the shelves," Neru said. "You are needed. Whatever past that haunts you should not hinder you from going onward."

"You are pretty good with English for a alien." Peter said.

Neru smiled.

"Thank you." Neru said.

Peter went into the quarters.

That is when he recognized the room. His room! The placement of the belongings. The holo-pictures that were lost in the destruction of the _Protector_. There was a couch facing a fish tank of rare fish. A desk with a computer screen and a keyboard along with a bobble-head and a long stick with thread wrapped the end. One that he had gotten from one of the homeworld of Yarrh Rotter on Strawgoh. Peter came over to the table that had what he long thought to be irreplaceable. His hands traced along the picture of Joan Edith, his beloved, who went down on the _Arcadia_ a ship he had served on.

" _Never give up! Never surrender!"_ were Edith's last words.

Peter put down the picture frame on the table.

He saw a long wide weapon with a ax like surface, one that had been made when he had to fight against Lazarus to save the timeline of his world. Peter touched it. It felt very real. Peter picked it up and observed for the bent side, the scratches that were made from Lazarus's weapon, and the chip in the handle. He placed it down on the table taking a sigh. If he was thinking what he was thinking, but, how? How did NSEA authorize this? He briefly closed his eyes disturbed.

If NSEA knew, wouldn't he have been told?

He had a inkling of an idea what this ship was.

Peter opened his eyes.

Peter walked into the other room where he recognized his quarters. It had a waterbed, a hot ass waterbed that had a forcefield that prevented it from getting holes. It had blue sheets and the blankets showed the galaxy in its entirety. He noticed there was a lamp in the room that was well lit continuously beaming on. If one other than the owner were to touch it then they would be very burned. Peter put one finger on the rounded basket like object to feel a warm sizzle. It brought him back to a familiar planet that had objects that warmly greeted their owners when they touched. Peter looked over to see the uniform neatly folded on the chair right beside the closet.

The jacket now had a different design, instead, the darker gray pointed upwards not downwards. Which was the only notable difference. The background of the NSEA synbol was a dark gray. The shoulder pads had the same golden 'V' shaped parts and he looked down, the other thing that hadn't changed was the black shirt, and the gray jeans but they had deeper pockets then they had before. He also noticed the holster to the plasma pistol had been updated as had the Vox. He looked over to see the doors to his quarters had closed.

Peter looked back down toward his uniform with a familiar grin that he hadn't done in fourteen years.

* * *

Thirty-two minutes later, Peter was finally out of the room. He had this aroma that made some Thermians, male and female alike, fall to the ground and some who were fangirling over seeing the legendary commander walking down the hallway. He had on cologne. It was like a complete transformation had been done. He went off his memory off the Protector, of course, to find his way to the command deck. Though his shoulders were racked with guilt. Guilt that hadn't left his 'semi-retired' figure. His mood had lifted though from 'depressed commander who has firmly planted his feet in the soil to ' _Commander_ Peter Quincy Taggart'.

The doors opened before Peter.

His jaw almost fell.

The command deck.

Peter went on auto-pilot walking into the room. He could picture Laredo at his station to his left and Tawny at her station to his right. Lazarus at his station right across. Chen waiting beside his chair holding a wrench going along the lines of 'If you break that hot tub again, I am not fixing it, Commander!' and Tawny shaking her head with a short laugh. Laredo grinning. Lazarus totally hiding back a smile even when he is surveying a mass of space for a Class M planet to explore.

"Cooommander!" Mathesar said, drawing Peter back to reality.

Mathesar put one hand packed into a fist on his chest with a grin.

"Welcome tooo the coooommand deck!" Mathesar said.

"At ease." Peter said.

The whole room relaxed as he came over to the empty chair then sat down into it. The screen bleeped to life to display a ugly green material like man who had a strange kind of chin and he actually resembled some kind of insect, so much so that Peter let it slip from his mouth, "Wow, are you some kind of praying mantis gone wrong?" General Sarris's wings of doom spread out and his demeanor changed into a furious one. His teeth were long and sharp, K-nine really, and his tongue was a dark blue not green.

"Who are you?" Sarris asked, with a frown.

"Commander Peter Taggart." Peter said.

A creepy kind of smile grew on the deep voiced alien's face

"Oh, the one who destroyed his ship at the expense of his crew." Sarris said.

Peter narrowed his eyes at the screen and he grew serious.

"You have been harassing these Thermian's scientists, antagonizing them, and done so much oppression that I cannot fathom why you are still bothering them after they rebelled," Peter said. "How does it feel to be repelled against by those who never gave up? Never surrendered? I guess that might be annoying," He had his elbow on the arm of the chair waving his hand. "Now, they have earned their freedom from you fair and square. Time to move on from them. They have no grudge for you and no desire to fight against you. Why not go your separate way?"

Sarris had a short laugh.

"Give up?" Sarris asked. "Sure, enjoy the gift I left for you."

The screen turned to black.

 _Sarcasm_ , Peter thought.

"Blue Plasma cannons, engage!" Peter shouted, standing up from the chair. "Send them packing, Laredo."

Several plasma shots fired upon Sarris's starship that was shaped like a cannon. Sarris flew out of orbit with walls being destroyed and damaged but repairable. Peter's racing heart started to slow down. He had a sigh of relief that this went well. He turned away from the chair keeping his composure where there was a applause.

"Yooou have saved us!" Mathesar said. "We are in your debt."

"Negative, you are in the debt of-" Peter stopped himself, realizing he was without his crew. So he finished it off differently, "Yourselves." He held a hand out to Mathesar. "I just did the talking."

Mathesar extended one hand out and he shook Peter's hand.

For a squid being, Mathesar felt relatively human.

 **B-Bllast!**

Elsewhere, on Earth, Lazarus bolted up from his bed of spikes clenching at his chest and his eyes opened wide,experiencing pain. " _Peter_!"

"Coooommander!" Mathesar shouted, his eyes full of terror and fear.

The other Thermians turned in the direction of the one who had fired and they all dog piled on Sarris's agent who dropped his disguise generator to the ground. Peter collapsed to the ground feeling a hot stinging pain his chest. To Peter, it started with him falling letting go of Mathesar's hand. Peter thought of everyone else he left in the dark. Peter's entire life flashed before him. Then landing on the floor on his back. Mathesar coming to his side then look over shouting for a medic. A Thermian went out the doors calling out in their native language.

The whole room became a blur save for Mathesar who turned his head toward Peter.

"Coommander," Mathesar said. "We will repair yoooou."

Then his eyes closed and his world became dark.


	5. Pick up

Lazarus stepped out of the shower, soaking in the water, and he grabbed a towel then carefully began to clean himself off including the gills on his head. He hummed a Mak'Tar song to himself as he dried himself off. A small square machine went around the bathroom absorbing the water then exited out of the room. When he was done drying himself, Lazarus proceeded to get dressed in Mak'Tar dry, warm attire placed on a chair. Then he brushed his teeth, shaved what hair was growing alongside the side of his face, and put on pink slippers with white fur around them complimenting his dark socks.

Lazarus left the restroom then made breakfast for T'Spol and himself.

Many humans, and even Peter, had said they had become estranged recently. The way they phrase relationships baffled the Mak'Tar. _Recently_? They became estranged _fourteen years ago_. He listened to T'Spol's pet thump of her feet, her Quehal body slithering out of the cat door,and the sound of the purring belonging to the feline echoing down the hall. Lazarus placed a plate of what was a sunny side up kep-mok (A mother blood tick) egg which was mostly black with the center of it being a shade of purple.

T'Spol came after she had awaken and taken a shower.

Lazarus was in between deciding to wear Mak'Tar attire or something even more suitable for a reunion. Formal clothing would consist of a black outfit with a white shirt,but this wasn't for a fancy dance, that the doctor was aware of. He went with the Mak'Tar attire after coming to a conclusion and went on to eating breakfast. He put on his recently bought boots that covered the purple ridges in the shapes of scales outlined by the black socks. His toes were webbed kind of like a frog.

The Quehal had eaten her breakfast and went outside to relieve herself.

Five minutes later she came back and curled alongside the dining room table.

Feeling that pain in his chest?

The instant knowledge of who it was coming from?

Lazarus closed his eyes comforting himself it could _not_ be. It might have been a nightmare. But his gut told him otherwise. Dreams are many things to the Mak'Tar race, they have a fine line between what is reality and what is not reality. Dreams are theorized to be other dimensions their minds travel but they have yet to accomplish as they are not ready to place themselves into different vessels for more than a day out of their vessel since it is theirs and due to the soul having difficulty sticking to a second vessel with a attraction to be snatched back into the original one.

Lazarus cleaned the dishes.

T'Spol was prepared to attend school, holding onto her backpack's straps, and she had on her school uniform standing in the hallway to the door.

"Brother?" T'Spol asked, as Lazarus seemed to be looking off in the distance of the back door patio toward the sky lost in thought. "Are you all right?"

Lazarus turned his head away toward T'Spol.

"I am suitable," Lazarus said. "Go to the bus stop. And do not accept rides from strangers."

"Pepperspray, brother," T'Spol said, holding up a small device labeled 'Pepperspray'. "Will not know what hit them."

The Quehal was outside playing with one of her toys.

"I will see you after school," Lazarus said. "Sister."

T'Spol went out the door.

 **Beep**. **Beep**. **Beep**.

Lazarus flipped out his vox.

"Lazarus here."

"Hey Lazarus, can you drive me to the reunion from the hover-port?" It was Laredo. "I don't have the credits to get a taxi."

"Affirmative," Lazarus said. "It is good to hear you again, Laredo."

"I am the guy with the large hat and with the security crewman guy attempting to flirt with girls," Laredo said. "I am not a kid anymore."

 _Nine. . . ten. . eleven. . . twelve. . . . thirteen_.

Laredo was thirteen years old when Lazarus last spoke with him and he hadn't hit puberty at that time, yet. Now, hearing Laredo as a fully grown man with a different kind of voice was nice to hear. It had been a long time since he had seen Laredo. In fact, it had been two long since Lazarus had last talked with the crew members of the _Protector_.

"I will be there, Laredo," Lazarus said. "Lazaraus out."

Lazarus closed his Vox then he left the house.

* * *

 **. . .Forty-two minutes later. . .**

"This is my friend Victor Rockwell Ingersol," Laredo said. "Though everyone calls him the Roc."

"It is a honor to meet you, Doctor Lazarus!" Roc said, handing out a hand.

"He doesn't shake hands," Laredo said. "Sensitive fingers."

"Oh." Roc lowered his hand down then buckled himself in.

"Please, it is Lazarus," Lazarus said. "I am retired."

"You-WHAT?" Laredo raised his voice.

"Retired." Lazarus said.

"Since _when_?" Laredo asked.

"I have had more urgent duties to attend to," Lazarus said. "That being my little sister T'Pol-I meant T'Spol."

"You never had a sister." Laredo said.

"I have one now." Lazarus said.

"Gee, the captain has become earth bound," Laredo started. "You have retired, Chen has engaged in studies of Digital conveying science experiments, Tawny has drifted in and out of NSEA, and I have become the epicenter of teaching kids how to fly! Half of the time they don't retain the knowledge! Now, I should be the lucky one who's been raised in a climate controlled city on constant simulation. But really? I am not lucky. I can't believe I was the chosen kid to be in that prodigy program!"

Lazarus stole a glance over his shoulder toward Laredo raising a eyebrow.

"What prodigy program?" Lazarus asked.

"The geniuses kid program," Laredo said. Lazarus turned his attention back on the road. "It is a reason why I was the youngest helmsman in history."

"Fascinating," Lazarus said, as Roc looked at the direction of Laredo with a hurt expression. "A genetically engineered helmsmen."

"How come you never told me that,Laredo?" Roc asked, hurt.

"Because unlike you I do not spill out my guts to every woman I come across," Laredo said. "This is man between man."

"He does have a point, logically," Lazarus said, driving away from the hover-port. "Spilling your guts is very unsanitary and I would recommend you never do that. It is very deadly,and I recommend you tell me the doctors who allow such operations to be done."

Laredo laughed falling over in the back passenger seat.

"I believe he didn't meant by spilling my intestines out,but okay," Roc said. "I get the point."

Roc reminded Laredo of Crewman Number Six, one who had died fourteen years ago. He had taken the opportunity to look up his name after the funeral to learn it was Gregarius Sextus. Lazarys glanced over toward Roc who had his arms folded shaking his head. Roc and Laredo (after he had stopped laughing) were engaging in a unusual discussion. The tone between them was a different kind. It was like two well acquainted individuals or more else two loved ones bickering.

"Are we going to tell everyone the truth?" Roc said.

"The truth? Oh, they can't handle the truth!" Laredo said.

"Perhaps they can," Roc said. "They _must_ know."

"Not now. We can break it to them after the reunion." Laredo said.

"What truth?" Lazarus asked.

"Nothing." Laredo and Roc said.

"Are you related to Gregarius Sextus, Mr Ingersol?" Lazarus said

"No," Roc said. "First I have heard the name."

"Hm," Lazarus said. "Interesting."


	6. At first there was doubt

"8:50 AM," Chen said, looking down toward his smart watch. "And he still is not here."

"Is this his way of saying no?" Tawny said. "Peter told me he was coming."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Chen said, with a simple shrug.

"He must be in some bad traffic," Lazarus said, earning sharp glares from everyone. "It is only logical."

"Stop defending him with that endless list of excuses," Tawny said. "We all know he does not need it."

Roc caught the glimpse of a familiar figure from the history padds coming from the corner of the hall. The glint of the gray uniform, the shoulder pads, and the hair was a distinguishable familiar sight but the face was more of a blur. He had been told that Commander Taggart had become semi-retired. Roc raised his eyebrows watching a unfamiliar figure enter the room with a not-so-familiar stride that was full of confidence but otherwise a serious commander swagger about the persona.

"You are never going to believe this," Peter said. "But I fired away a Fatu-Krey! Also, Mathesar has me in charge of the _Protector_ and his species! I am helping them finding a new home planet to colonize!"

Tawny's jaw dropped.

Lazarus's hand squeezed the cup he was holding.

Chen observed the captain's attire.

"Nice suit." Chen said.

"Peter, you destroyed the _Protector_ exactly fourteen years ago, six months, two weeks, six days, and four hours ago," Lazarus said. "We all saw it destroyed."

"They rebuilt it." Peter said.

Tawny's eyes narrowed at Peter.

"Are you pulling our legs?" Tawny asked. "And where did you get that suit? Didn't you say you were retired?"

"That I am not," Peter said. "Ah," He turned in the direction of Laredo. "Laredo, you have grown up!"

Laredo smiled.

"I had my growth spurt when I was fifteen." Laredo said.

Peter was different form the last time she had seen him, bad mood and a bit depressed like, now here he was acting like nothing had ever happened. It was like some-one went back in time, grabbed Commander Taggart from the past then placed his mind into his older self,and then ditched him. Roc was staring at the man in shock, utter shock, at the sudden arrival of someone claimed to be 'tamed and dull these days'.

"And how has the little sister been, Lazarus? Has she developed any hair on her head?" Lazarus coldly glared at Peter. "Kidding!"

"NSEA swore not to build the _Protector_ without all of us onboard," Lazarus said. "Not all of us are willing to believe NSEA went against its own word."

"NSEA _never_ goes against its own word," Roc said, earning glances. "Even for the well being of a select few."

Their attention returned to Peter.

"The Thermians brought you out of retirement after fourteen years," Tawny said. "Uh huh. I don't believe you. You are a piece of work."

Tawny left the room with her hands balled into a fist, and Teb went past her with some of his other Thermian crewmen. Lazarus went next tossing his drink into the trashcan and so did Laredo. One of them was a female Thermian Scientist named Je'Ling and the other two seemed to be dressed in gray versions of the NSEA crewmen uniforms. Chen raised an eyebrow at the neat, tidy uniforms. The 'Happy 14th reunion' banner fell to the floor behind Roc and Chen. The Thermians were pale.

"Cooomander," Teb said. "Sarris would like tooo discuss oooour surrender."

Chen lowered his eyebrow.

"Surrender?" Peter turned his head toward Teb with a stubborn expression about his face. "Oh, we will see about that!" He looked over toward Roc and Chen with the trademark reassuring look. "You are always welcome to join me, if you are interested." He turned back in the direction of the Thermians. "Never give up! Never surrender!"

The small group went out the door in the opposite direction the group had gone.

Chen and Roc shared a glance.

"I am so checking this out," Roc said. "See you later."

Roc zipped in the direction of the Thermians and the commander.

Chen went in the direction the crew had gone going past several other cadet in the sea of cadets,and he eventually came to a stop outside where everyone was headed to the Hover-parking. It had been years since Peter even muttered the phrase 'Never give up! Never surrender!'. He never muttered it after the _Protector_ was destroyed. When he came aboard the escape pod, Chen could notice a drastic change about the commander. His hands cupped together. His head lowered down toward his hands. His mood had shifted. Lazarus sitting by, concerned, as the escape pod traveled through space.

"Guys, wait!" Chen shouted.

They didn't even stop.

"The Thermians might be the real deal!" Chen shouted.

"Oh real deal?" Tawny said. "The real deal is when he is being honest with us."

Laredo opened the car door and stepped in.

"Being held back the truth on why he has not used Omega 13 has been hurtful," Lazarus added, getting in. "And all he has done is lied."

"You haven't considered the possibility that he is telling the truth," Chen said. "He must have had a good reason to surrender. After fourteen years, FOURTEEN YEARS, we've been asking him why. Well? Maybe he has his own personal reasons but for the first time in fourteen years I just heard him say his motto." Chen turned around and headed straight back toward Starsearcher academy. "I am willing to give the commander a second chance."

Chen went through the doors to the academy.

Laredo looked over to the empty seat then back in the direction of Lazarus with a puzzled facial expression.

"Where is Victor?" Laredo said.

The three stole glances to one another regarding the possibility that the commander could be telling the truth. Car doors slamming. Feet running. Academy doors closing behind Tawny. Some cadets coming to a stop watching the legendary crew of the original _Protector_ darting in the direction of Chen. Some even said, "Hey, isn't that Doctor Lazarus?" The cadets went into their respective classes emptying the hall. They came to the back that had a open space above that had a array of plants that were alien, strange, and unique. Some of them even had fur in the shape of a mane belonging to a lion.

There stood a female Thermian beside a purple alien bush with green flowers and light purple thorns.

"If Commander Taggart is going to be a commander of some copy-cat of the Protector, then we are going too!" Tawny said.

Je'Ling smiled, tilting her head to the side.

"The commander said you would be coming," Je'Ling said. "Prepare four pods to launch," She straightened her head. "I am a holographic projection. I will see you there."

Je'Ling vanished in a blue haze.

"Pods?" Tawny said.

Tawny looked down to see a circular white object below her feet. Blue gel emerged from the center then covered the boot pinning them to the base. The gel traveled around their bodies and conformed around it. The gel pinned their arms to the side rising up the shoulder level up to the head then solidified to form a protective barrier. It was thick but otherwise produced oxygen for the human related beings inside to breath. The pad ejected off the ground through the sky going through incredible speeds that otherwise did not harm the flying people inside.

They went through a wormhole.

Then they landed in a room where the gel dissipated and the pod vanished from below their feet. Lazarus's eyes were wide as he were trembling due to the cold. Tawny stood there, her eyes enlarged, recovering from the cold chill. Chen was looking around the room curiously. Laredo's jaw had dropped. The doors parted ways to reveal a pair of squid like beings octopusing their way into the room, their tentacles drawing forward on the metal floor, and their eyes were quite unusual. They held unusual little portable items in their tentacles and scanned the four with the items.

With a small Po-op the squids turned into people.

"Oooh my," Came the young looking Thermian in the middle. "My sincerest apologies."

"Our apologies." The two repeated, picking up what they had dropped.

"Ah ha!" Peter came in through the doors. "Five minutes and thirty-six seconds, you came here earlier than I expected."

Tawny rolled her eyes and fell back landing on the floor.

"Sensory overload." Lazarus said.

Roc came in the room with a new uniform on that would normally be worn on a security officer (which is his occupation).

"This is awesome!" Roc said. "That was one hell of a ride. I wouldn't mind another trip on a pod."

"You should see the ship." Peter said.

Laredo lifted his jaw back up.

"Ship?" Laredo said.


	7. Protector II

The newly recovered team easily got adjusted to space as some of them had been in space during the fourteen year period. Peter seemed so natural in space. Even though the commander was older than he had been before, Peter wore that suit well. It fit him like a glove. They came to the observation deck to see a replica of the _Protector_ in space with the fine dark print indicating the name of the ship on the right thruster. It was quite the sight to see. Laredo rubbed his eyes. Chen pinched himself. Tawny merely gaped. Lazarus appeared to be amazed.

"By Grabthar's hammer," Lazarus said. "They. . . They rebuilt her. She looks marvelous."

"How long?" Tawny asked, her jaw went slack.

"It took them four years to build her," Peter said. Tawny raised her jaw back up. "Most of the design comes from the wreckage and the security cameras. Mostly the security camera's. This is the _Protector_ II." Their heads turned toward Peter. "Now, now, now," He shook his hands. "I did _not_ name her. Mathesar did. If I had to name her, it would be _Protector Junior_."

"Peter." Tawny said.

"You must see the inside," Peter said. "I insist before we go to the command deck. They replicated our rooms."

Peter gestured down the hall.

"I want to see Laredo's room!" Roc said, immediately going down the hall.

"That has kid stuff!" Laredo panicked, going after Roc. "You do not want to see it!"

Chen and Tawny followed in the direction of the other two leaving Lazarus and Peter behind. Lazarus looked over toward Peter with such concern in his eyes.

"Peter, are you hurt?" Lazarus asked.

"No." Peter said.

"You are lying to me," Lazarus said. "I felt you get hurt this morning."

Peter's face became amused.

"Oh, that!" Peter said, with a short laugh. "I thought you were talking emotionally."

"Raising a sibling takes comes first over duty." Lazarus said.

"Not that." Peter said.

Lazarus raised a arched eyebrow.

"Then what were you referring to?" Lazarus asked. Peter looked over toward Lazarus with a faded but look of knowing that seemed daunting. Lazarus lowered his arched eyebrow. "I advise you tell me the truth for once regarding your injury." He had his hands behind his back, eyes glaring at the direction of Peter, face stoic. "Do not make me beg."

"You don't have to." Peter said.

"Please, Peter." Lazarus said.

Peter sighed.

"I got shot this morning," Peter said. "All right? Had to get a lung replicated."

"No, it wasn't your lung," Lazarus said. "I know the truth but I like to hear it from you."

Peter briefly closed his eyes.

"I thought you dissolved our psychic bond." Peter said, looking over toward Lazarus.

"I lied." Lazarus said.

"Now who's pants are on fire?" Peter said, with a smirk.

"My pants are not on fire, Peter." Lazarus said.

Peter shook his head.

"Fourteen years and you still do not get that phrase." Peter said.

"Peter." Lazarus said.

"It was the heart," Peter said, then he patted on his chest. "Good as new!"

"Peter, one does not walk out of being shot at the heart and come back head on." Lazarus said.

"I don't believe in no-win scenarios," Peter said."You know that well as I do."

"I do." Lazarus said.

Lazarus felt like he was closer to the truth on why Peter gave up than before. Years ago, Peter was highly stubborn about even discussing it. In fact he refused to straight out tell the truth. Something was on his mind when he even considered the thought those years ago when asked by his former crew mates. What he had done was fresh on his mind. But it wasn't so fresh on Peter's mind. He decided not to ask, "What about fourteen years ago?" as Peter had to tell Lazarus on his own. Something he should have thought of logically years ago. Patience, and the answer will come.

Peter, unexpectedly, started to fall forwards.

Lazarus was quick on his feet catching the man in his arms.

"Apparently the lethargic side effect lingers," Peter said. "Told me to lay off straining myself. Straining myself? Who do they think I am? Arnold Schwarzenegger or Buzz Lightyear?" Lazarus helped the man straighten himself. Peter muttered a soft, "Thank you."

Peter left the observation room with Lazarus tailing behind him.


	8. Witnessing

"Doctor Lazarus-" A male Thermian came to Lazarus's side as he was walking down the hall headed to where he had an inkling of an idea where his quarters were.

"It is Lazarus." Lazarus said.

"But you can't retire being a doctor." The Thermian said.

Obviously the Thermian had overheard the news.

"Watch me." Lazarus said.

"My name is Quellek," Quellek said. "I have followed the ways of the Mak'Tar since I was little."

Lazarus looked over toward Quellek, who had his head designed like a Mak'Tar.

"You are a Thermian, are you not?" Lazarus asked.

"I view you as the father I never had," Quellek said. "And I view myself as a Mak'Tar than a Thermian." They came to the doors that had a circular window in the dead middle. "Open."

The doors opened to reveal a empty room.

Free of distractions.

A lot like his original quarters aboard the _Protector_.

Lazarus looked over toward Quellek.

"I like it." Lazarus said.

"Excellent," Quellek said. "It has taken me four years to master sleeping on spikes but now days I sleep like a baby." He came over to a panel then pressed a button from the wall across. Lazarus entered the room. Free of distractions. Open space. A lot like how his bedroom should be if not for some keepsakes. "Close." The doors closed behind Lazarus. "We have your compartments for individual purposes prepared such as the closet for attire and shoes and socks." A series of spikes came up from the floor at the center of the room. "And your facilities have been prepared." The wall opened. "Your anatomy is quite. . . sophisticated."

"I was not aware of there being a security camera in my room." Lazarus said.

"Most of which were recovered due to the automatic delete program that Commander Taggart had authorized," Quellek said, matter-of-factly. "Your urination was quite unexpected. We used to believe you wouldn't urinate in the same room and had complete privacy."

It was nice to know the human looked out for Lazarus in that kind of way.

Lazarus believed the conversation regarding his urination went in this manner:

 _"Lieutenant." Peter said._

 _"Yes?" Tawny said._

 _"Ask the computer to create a program to delete all footage in Dr Lazarus's quarters in the case of self destruction." Peter said._

 _Tawny would have been puzzled._

 _"Why?" Tawny asked._

 _"You never know," Peter winked. "Someone might just find Dr Lazarus on a very private moment."_

 _"Understood." Tawny said. "Computer-"_

"Lazarus?" Quellek repeated. "Mr Lazarus?"

"Yes?" Lazarus said.

"I was asking how you first met the commander." Quellek said.

"Oh," Lazarus said. "I met him . . .When he was first Lieutenant Commander under Commander Trout. He was twenty-seven at the time. He was recently assigned on the _Protector_ after the attack on the _Arcadia_."

 _And one year later I watched Peter take command over the_ Protector _at age twenty-eight_ , Lazarus added in mid thought.

"Commander Trout died noble protecting his ship." Quellek said.

"Life cut short." Lazarus agreed, as the series of spikes went down and the doors closed.

"I have always wondered," Quellek said. "Asides to the logs, they are not of much information, were you and the commander ever in a relationship? I was puzzled on one log where you had Mak'Tar biology kicking in on a planet encased by a cave with Commander Taggart. The Commander's log says ' _All went well, and Dr Lazarus's life has been saved._ ' and your log lacked any information except that your Mak'Tar biology to reproduce every seven years had ended without incident. What happened in those three unaccounted for days?"

"You really want to know?" Lazarus asked, raising a eyebrow.

"Yes." Quellek said.

"I was on choloform," Lazarus said. "The projection deck was useful for my ailment after returning to the _Protector_."

* * *

Time went by, swiftly, on the _Protector II_. Everyone was mostly delighted by what they had to see, mostly. Roc teased Laredo about the real life light saber he had below the poster of Darth Vader and Obi wan-kenobi. Quellek believed what Lazarus had to say about his relationship with Peter Taggart which he characterized as "acquaintances" totally leaving out the part where they had a psychic bond that was still active. Chen was down in the engineering section admiring the newest version of a beryllium sphere and the new additions.

Safe to say that Chen was having a field day down there.

"This is the cooommand deck." Mathesar said.

The command deck, in Lazarus's honest opinion, looked way better than it had eighteen years ago. The metal was more light gray than it was dark gray, the main theme to his station was not white as it had been but gray with a darker gray band around it. His station was right across from Tawny's. Laredo's station was across from the captain's chair. His fingers slid on the rounded surface to the science station. The screen was otherwise brand new. Roc was at the security station being giddly about being on the legendary command deck.

"Impressive reconstruction of our stations," Lazuras said. "I assumed the bridge would be beyond recognition after self destruction."

"This comes from all the fooootage we recovered, frooom yooour persooonal quarters too every deck." Mathesar said.

"Just how much footage did you get of Doctor Lazarus's room?" Peter asked.

"All ooof it," Mathesar said. "A few oof my peooople wooould like tooo witness the ship exit spacepooort."

"They may come in." Peter said.

Mathesar turned in the direction of the door and made a unusual cry that sounded a lot like a otter, maybe an eel, calling out. The doors open to reveal twenty or so Thermians. They had seen a long hall of Thermians in the barracks complete with a simple bed and a cabinet of the sorts resting at the foot of the bed. It extended throughout the ship. Easily could hold four hundred and more of the species. Peter turned toward Laredo.

"Take us out, Laredo." Peter said.

Laredo pressed a button then grasped his fingers around the handle. The ship started going toward the left, after all, it had been years since Laredo had actually flown the Protector. He was reminded by Roc who simply commented, "You should be going to the right, Larry." With Laredo snapping back, "I am the driver! Not you, Victor!" And then he proceeded to hit the right hand side of the space port scraping the Protector in the process. Most of the people on the command deck were covering their ears. Laredo moved toward the left. He, eventually, brought the Protector on a straight path exiting the starport.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"And you say you have been teaching kids to drive when you have gone rusty on flying?" Roc asked.

"Hey, that was _simulated_!" Laredo replied.

"Whoooo is Larry?" Mathesar asked, confused.

The other Thermians clapped as Tawny rubbed her forehead.

"This is going to be a long day." Tawny said, as she noticed that Peter was _loving_ this.


	9. The cafeteria

"We have replicated your food from the remains of the food synthesizer on the previous _Protector_ and rebuilt it," Martinsar, Mathesar's _twin_ , explained, sitting beside Mathesar who seemed to be internally fangirling over sitting in the presence of his idol Peter Taggart. "Kep-mok was easy to come by."

Lazarus took a sip of his kep-mok, chewed, and relatively enjoyed the meal.

"Where do kep-mok come from anyway?" Laredo asked.

"The infectinia planet, hence the name, Coomander," Mathesar said. "This is a different breed. These kep-moks are more juicy than their counterparts." Quellek was eating a bowl of squirming ke-moks eating them like they were spaghetti rather than disgusting insects. "Sooome ooof us enjoooy the meal and many ooof us enjoooy human foood."

Chen twirled his fork in the noodles.

"Thank god for the American Cheese burger!" Roc said.

"So what about the previous commander?" Tawny asked.

Martinsar and Mathasar shared a identical grimace.

"He . . . he was weak," Martinsar said. "He couldn't stand Sarris. Might as well shooow you."

The crew were in the new NSEA authorized uniforms.

Martinsar and Mathasar, turned toward the screen from behind them. Roc chewed what bite he had taken from the cheese burger and Chen was busy eating the noodles as he stared the screen coming to life,while Mathesar explained this video was smuggled off Sarris's ship. _The scenery opened to a dark room then panned into a chamber where a purple squid was strapped to a table._

 _Sarris's figure entered holding a device in his hand._

 _"Tell me the most dangerous weapon of choice you on the Protector." Sarris said._

 _"I will not tell you." Came a female like voice from the squid._

 _"That is not good enough!" Sarris slapped the device on the squid making it transform from human to natural Thermian with a scream._

 _"Please, if you have mercy, let me die!" The former commander said._

 _Sarris grinned._

 _"Hearing your scream for three days is the most delightful sound I have heard," Sarris said. "I wouldn't stop." He tapped on the item making the Thermian scream once more. "Now," His large green scaled fingers trace of the appearance generator shocker. "Tell me." His fingers were above the item. "If you tell me, I will let you go. I promise."_

 _The former commander looked up toward Sarris fearfully, but seemed to relax a little._

 _"Omega 13!" The former commander said._

 _Sarris pressed the button._

 _The squid being screamed._

 _"YOU PROMISED!" The former commander shouted._

 _Sarris had a cackle._

 _"You are so naive." Sarris said._

Mathesar turned away from the screen toward the crew.

"We have been learning 'deceptiooon' and 'lies' due tooo Sarris," Mathesar said. "At a great cooost."


	10. Leaving the joint

"Come on, we have faced more twisted bad guys." Peter said, following after his crew who had packed their lunches.

"Might I remind you that none of them tortured us!" Tawny said.

"You afraid of being tortured?" Peter asked.

They all shot Peter a death glare.

"Yes!" They said at once.

"I cannot stand the idea of my body being turned inside out. Do you know how illogical that is? And very disgusting, might I note," Lazarus said. "Only Ipthar knows what he would do to _us_. He might be skilled in torture that is unlike the one he had done on the Thermians. I have a little sister who is still learning to speak in Tevmekian. She doesn't have the memories of all my ancestors."

"I am too young to die!" Laredo added.

"I actually have to visit my grandmother on a regular arranged visiting at a home," Chen said. "I have been holding it off for so long."

"I have a meeting to attend with Dean Yoo." Tawny said.

"Ah, still dating the commander through holo-messages?" Peter asked.

"Peter!" Tawny said. "He is a _Ex-NSEA_ commander! He is a dean of computer department at Starsearcher Academy these days."

"How come I never seen him?" Peter asked.

"Not this again." Lazarus complained.

"You have stayed out of the computer department for fourteen years on other various subjects that I can't seem to remember," Tawny said. "I only came here for a reunion not to lose my life over it."

"I get that part-" Peter started to say only to be stopped by the Thermian with a Mak'Tar head. The small group came to a halt staring at the unusual Thermian. Chen raised an eyebrow looking over toward Lazarus. Laredo and Roc both observed, well more like scanned him, the Thermian from head to shoe. "Sorry Quellek, my crew has the hibbie-jibbies because of the smuggled video. They are going back home."

"Not possible," Quellek said. "Sarris is here. If we sent you out then Sarris would shoot projectile from the ship and logically kill you."

"That is logical." Lazarus said.

"You mean he is here, right now?" Peter said. "That sneaky son of a Meechan?"

"He is not a Meechan." Quellek said.

"I have learned that when he says ' _Son of a meechan_ ', it usually in place of ' _Son of a bitch_ ' and is a condensed PG-13 phrase," Lazarus said. Quellek appeared to be puzzled. "He is using slang."

"Ah, slang," Quellek said. "A type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people. Fascinating."

"Now, why does that sound so familiar?" Laredo asked, his head turned in the direction of Lazarus.

Peter went past Quellek heading to the command deck.

"Someone has to make sure he doesn't get the _Protector_ destroyed, again." Lazarus said.

Lazarus went after Peter.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Chen said. "I will go to the most safest part of the ship. Engineering!"

Tawny, Laredo, and Roc followed after Lazarus.

"Actually, the safest part of the _Protector II_ is the rec room." Quellek said, to no one in particular.


	11. Time for Sarris to pop right in

The group walked into the command deck; Peter sat down into the chair, Laredo to his station, Lazarus to his familiar one that he noticed had the flat bottom unlike the rest of the crew members that had cushions (distractions were quite annoying for Mak'Tar) for them to be comfortable on. It has taken Lazarus years to appreciate the cushions (complete by buying furniture for his home) and now, he just finds himself rather comfortable sitting down on a flat distraction free surface. When T'Spol was a tot, she would wail and wail after being put on a flat surface such as a flat mattress until he put her on a small crib of spikes. She was out and fast asleep. It fascinated Lazarus how spikes were preferred even for Mak'Tar newborns.

Sitting down on a flat cold surface could have made Lazarus smile.

 _Pleased_.

 _Happy_.

 _Delighted_.

T'Spol didn't care about the distractions in the house long as her room was empty. Her closet was behind the wall that could be activated by a simple fingerprint. It felt crowded in his home. Distracting. Some humans would say that Lazarus was deliberately making himself feel 'unhappy' on Earth. His quarters half was empty and half had furniture on Earth. But what really made him _happy_ for fourteen years? Raising his little sister. His little sister had developed friendships on Earth, some of those who were alien or human, and it was pleasing to see her grow up before his eyes. Pleasing to watch her be shaped by those around her. Pleasing to watch her understand figure of speech quicker than he does understanding it, mostly because she had friends along her adolescent years. Kindergarten, middle school, and high school. What did Lazarus do in those fourteen years when she wasn't around?

Lazarus did a variety of activities that he prefers not to mention.

But most of which were preparing to teach T'Spol about their culture and history.

On the screen appeared Sarris.

"Ah," Sarris said. "I see my assassin did not take you out, Commander Taggart. "

"Why hello back to you," Peter said. "I trust you are well. We airlocked your assassin out," Tawny and Lazarus look over toward Peter stunned that he had casually mentioned killing someone. "Pretty dead."

Sarris took out a stick with the head of a Fatu-Krey on top.

Their attention returned to the screen.

Tawny and Laredo's faces turned into disgust.

Roc had his attention on the radar.

They were currently on Zeta Frequency to have this discussion with Sarris.

"I took out my lieutenant for not raising the shields up on time," Sarris said. "I hate having to retreat!" He tossed the stick to the side with a grunt. "I want the Omega-13."

"You see," Peter said. "I cannot do that." He leaned forward, hands on the arm rest, eyes narrowed. "It is not something you can pack into a box and hand over." He waved one hand in the air swaying it from side to side as he spoke. "It is the most dangerous, perhaps lethal, weapon in the galaxy capable of eliminating the existence of every living being out there." He lowered his hand. "It would not spare the one who has used it."

"And yet, you are still alive," Sarris said. "Why bother installing it when it is dangerous?"

"Someone had to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands." Peter said.

"I want the Omega 13," Sarris said. "Or I am coming over and getting it over your dead body."

Peter leaned back into the chair.

"No," Peter said. "That you will not."

"I am a general!" Sarris shouted. "I am the leader of the Sarris Dominion!"

Peter sighed.

"Which sounds lame by all accounts." Sarris growled and his eyebrow twitched. "I met aliens more badder than you who had their focus on species who were not severely below them constantly," Peter said. "You are the worst and the lowest of the low. If you want to get Omega 13 then you getting only scrap metal. I will not, ever, allow you to get your hands on it. In fact if you tried then your hands would be destroyed and so would you." Peter put one elbow on the arm rest with one finger on the side of his temple glaring at the ugly green being. "You can't get it out of the ship."

"I will get my way!" Sarris shouted, his wings of doom spread out and his fangs were shown.

Peter straightened himself lowering down his arm then looked over toward Tawny.

"Lieutenant." Peter said.

"Computer, end zeta communication." Tawny said.

Sarris vanished from the screen into darkness.

"Zeta frequency has been terminated." The computer replied.

"First blow is always the first." Peter said.

"We got a missile coming!" Roc shouted.

"Oh for pete's sake: fire at will!" Peter shouted, clearly annoyed Sarris got the first blow.

History started to unfold a lot like it did fourteen years ago. Peter had a strange sense of deja-vu, except, this time the generators were able to work and were not paralyzed. _History will not repeat itself_ , Peter thought, _not this time_. He made the order to go into Thrust Drive. They had to get far as they could from Sarris. It had been years since he had been on a ship in thrust mode: his hands felt inclined to the arm rest, his legs felt stiff and numb, and his back was pressed against the back rest of the seat. The ship trembled. And then it tumbled right into the Tothian Mine field. Unfortunately the last missile from Sarris struck the command deck for the fifteenth time in a row but this time it injured Laredo.

"Hey, everyone, the ship is breaking apart and the generators can't take it. We have to get out of thrust mode."

"My arm!" Came Laredo's high pitch girly scream from beside his station.

Roc was terrified, to say for the least, and Lazarus was on the floor semiconscious. Tawny was unconscious with a bruise developing on her forehead. Peter saw only one option so he took it. The screen turned off to reveal the mine field. He quickly made it to Laredo's station that seemed to be half burned but still could pilot however the firing canons were immobilized. It was just his luck for this to happen on the _Protector II_. His hands wrapped around the handles and he carefully drove the ship through the field with the worst of luck. Long hard dents and scratches were created. He pressed the button that he had seen Laredo press and the thrust mode had stopped. It had enough power to get out of the field.

"Come on, old girl," Peter said. "Don't fail on me now."

He tilted the ship on its side carefully going through turning the handle as though it were a steering wheel straight out of the twenty-first century vehicle. Peter had one back on Earth that he occasionally drove when he was very, very bored. He was sweating, profusely, through his fingers. He actually pedalled to the metal meaning this was difficulty driving let alone sky diving from earth's atmosphere. And that sweating profusely happened to make his hands get slippery. Which leads to another logical event. He turned the ship forwards. One of the mines struck the ship sending it falling down into space. Peter saw they were in the clear, at least for now, and he heaved a sigh of relief. They should have a new rule on this ship.

Rule number-what-ever-the-hell-it-is: under no condition does Commander Taggart fly a starship.

The ship lost power in the thrusters.

Peter looked over from the station.

"Everyone okay?" Peter asked.

"My gills, they ache." Came Lazarus's voice as he propped himself up feeling dizzy and his vision somewhat blurry as a florescent light went off above him making a cackling sound.

"Oh my god,oh my god, oh my god!" Roc said, speeding over to Laredo's aid. "Are you okay, sweety?"

And in came the alarmed but otherwise fine Thermians.

"Thermians, get them to sick bay and treat their injuries," Peter said, earning a concerned look from Mathesar. "I am fine. I did not strain myself."

"Might I remind yoou-" Mathesar said, but Peter interrupted with a furrowed brow and his hand raised.

"Do not." Peter said.


	12. Heading together

They learned the beryllium sphere needed to be replaced, needless to say. Lazarus recovered from his injury, Tawny didn't complain as she had her head injury treated, Roc was all over Laredo, Laredo's arm was repaired in thirty-two minutes by a machine wrapped around his arm applied by the Thermian medic Betzalar who claimed he will be fine in a hour and will not need the brace afterwards. Several of the decks needed to be repaired; which according to the computer would take three months otherwise it could still run and the cannons needed a system diagnostics. Chen and his engineering friends had found a planet nearby where they could find a beryllium sphere.

Peter was heading to Surface Pod Launch Bay.

"Commander, I know what you are thinking and you are not going alone." Tawny came alongside the commander. "It takes a whole village to roll a ball."

"And there are Bluechilds on that planet,very deceptive and childlike, carnivores," Lazarus added, coming to the other side of Peter. "The worst of your problems is Goriknak the rock giant. The last time the Thermians went there they lost one of their own thanks to the rock giant."

"And you need someone to fly the surface pod down to the ground," Laredo said. "No offense but you make a terrible pilot."

"Yes, about that-" Peter started to say.

"Remember that one time you couldn't distinguish between a beryllium sphere and a ball of dinosaur poop?" Chen interjected.

"I remember like it were yesterday." Tawny said.

"Oh my god, that sounds yucky." Roc said.

"Not my fault it looked like a beryllium sphere." Peter said.

"And someone has to make sure those blue children does not kill you." Roc said.

"It is Bluechild." Lazarus said.

"Whatever." Roc said.

Peter came to the doors looking over toward his crew.

"You are not just going because the Thermians freak you out." Peter said.

They shook their heads.

"Good, because I don't want to hear you complain about not staying on the ship." Peter said, turning his head away then stepped forward where the doors automatically opened.

The doors opened to reveal several surface pods lined up alongside in rows but in specific was in the middle with the back end opened. A fresh smile with confidence appeared on Laredo. Quellek held a mapper, a device commonly used to collect and record information used by the NSEA members on the planets they explored. Lazarus recognized the device. He commonly used it when they were exploring new planets. It brought back warm and fuzzy feelings on some of the adventures Lazarus had been part of on the _Protector_. The mapper was a lot like a wide flip-phone.

"Cooomander!" Mathesar said, lacking his twin. "We have been waiting for yooou."

Peter grinned coming over to the surface pod.

"Change of plans," Peter said. "The crew is coming with me."

"Excellent." Mathesar said.

"Here is your mapper, Mr Lazzarrus." Quellek said, holding the mapper out.

"Quellek, it is nice of you say to my name in its proper wording but it is Lazarus." Lazarus said.

"I understand." Quellek handed the mapper to Lazarus then made the _Vil'el_ hand sign which was the peace out sign in reality.

Lazarus reciprocated as Laredo entered the Surface Pod as did Roc,Tawny, and Chen. Peter smiled shaking the hand of Mathesar reassuring the Thermian he will be fine long as he had his crew and his trusty plasma pistol. Lazarus lowered his hand then looked over to notice all but Peter had was his Vox not his plasma pistol. It was a empty holster, now why was it that? Lazarus recalled seeing Peter with his plasma pistol before the group of five had a meeting about Peter going alone. Peter might believe this might be a easy errand which is so not true. Which is a reason why Peter probably left his plasma pistol in his quarters. Which was a stupid idea.

Lazarus entered the surface pod.

"How long has it been since you flew a surface pod, Laredo?" Tawny asked.

Laredo buckled himself in using the seatbelt looking over toward Tawny.

"Four years," Laredo said. "Piloting a auto-pilot surface pod is easy," He flipped a switch activating the surface pod. "Just like making cake."

The thrusters powered up and the forcefield lifted up then the surface pod zipped through space.

"They will be back." Mathesar said, watching the surface pod become a distant dot heading toward the planet.


	13. Bluechild

"I am gay," Laredo said, earning surprised looks from Tawny, Peter, and Chen. Lazarus seemed not to be surprised. "And Roc is in a relationship with me."

Roc sighed, with relief.

"I always thought you were attracted to women." Chen said.

"I was a kid back then," Laredo said. "Liking others was still new to me."

"Oh like the cooties you got and handed to Ruthra,child ruler of Tolemac," Tawny said. "Everyone had chicken pox by the time we were two days from the planet. You kissed her on the cheek!"

"It was polite," Laredo said. "Everyone kissed her hand, and she asked me to kiss her on the cheek."

Roc raised an eyebrow.

"You gave a entire planet chicken pox?" Roc asked.

Laredo grimaced.

"I was ten," Laredo said. Roc lowered his eyebrow. "And it was not a _entire_ planet. It was a kingdom. Steampunk style, as was the sword. It was more so of a energy blade than solid metal."

"How come you never told me?" Roc asked, sounding hurt.

"Well, sweetie, if you told me about that trip to that strip club before I discovered it myself!" Laredo replied.

"How long have you two been in a relationship?" Peter asked.

"Four years." Roc and Laredo replied.

"And you decided to tell us now on the way to a alien planet," Peter said. "Couldn't you told us afterwards when we are not careening down toward the atmosphere-" The surface pod shook from side to side during turbulence. "LAREDO, TURN ON THE BREAKS!"

"This doesn't have breaks!" Laredo said as the alarms were going off.

"I am haunting you if I die,Peter." Lazarus said.

"Join the line, Lazarus." Peter replied, grabbing onto a handle.

* * *

The surface pod landed on its backside.

"Upside down," Lazarus commented, then he added another comment with a sarcastic tone to it. "How cheery."

Peter unsnapped his seatbelt then landed on the flat circular ceiling back first.

"Wow," Peter said, rolling over to his side. "That hurt."

"My shoulder." Laredo complained, clenching at his left shoulder.

With a soft and low click, Chen fell out behind Peter. Chen got himself upright then went over to where the back end is then he pressed down a leveler. The flat end came out from the top extending forwards. Chen was the first out. Second came Peter. Third came Roc. Forth came Tawny. Fifth came Laredo. Sixth came Lazarus. Laredo had the landing gear activate before he went out. The group rolled the surface pod over with the legs of the machine extended.

Lazarus flipped open the mapper and inputted what they needed to find.

Peter had his hands on his knees catching his breath.

"First time is the charm." Laredo said.

"Rolling a surface pod." Roc said.

"You rolled a car." Laredo said.

Peter straightened himself then went back into the surface pod.

"Totally accidental." Roc said.

Peter took canteens of water handing them to the rest of the crew, except for him. Lazarus took the last canteen from Peter's left hand raising an arched eyebrow noticing the right hand was edging away from the inside of the canteen replicator. There was another canteen left behind in the replicator. It was shaped like a brown circular bowl with a lid on the top. Peter's hand slipped from the canteen then went to the array of buttons alongside the water replicator. The gray lid closed over the replicator. It was odd for Peter to not get one for himself. Humans are known to lose half their water when the sun is beating against their skin. Most of the water comes out in the form of sweat.

Lazarus came out of the surface pod then handed the last to Roc.

"Thank you." Roc said, with the side of his hand bruised from the landing.

Reptiles are capable of retaining their water, and Peter is well aware of Lazarus's biology.

Peter came out as Lazarus looked down toward the mapper.

Lazarus looked up from the mapper.

"This way." Lazarus said, going away from the shuttle.

* * *

"Lazarus, how far are we to the beryllium sphere?" Laredo asked.

"Close." Lazarus replied.

Laredo briefly closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Man, you said 'close' two hours ago!" Laredo complained.

"That was one hour and fifty-three minutes ago." Lazarus said.

Laredo took a look over toward Roc who was gulping down what water was inside the canteen then he closed it with a relieved sigh and a pleased facial expression. Laredo noticed that, unlike the rest of the crew, Peter refused any offers for water. Which was strange but something not surprising that a man with a ego would totally deny that he was thirsty. Then again, Peter might have more experience being in the sun for hours on end than he did before. Laredo looked over toward Lazarus with furrowed eyebrows.

"I do not want to spend a entire day searching for this sphere." Laredo said.

"Nor do I." Chen agreed.

The group resumed their trek. However, a hard rugged edged object wrapped around Roc's right ankle then yanked him down toward the ground followed by a quick high pitched girly startled scream. Tawny turned around to see what was a series of rocks wrapped around Roc's ankle pulling him toward a dark hole. Laredo darted over toward Roc then took out his canteen and opened the lid throwing what remaining contents of the water at the rocks. The rocks unwrapped around Roc's ankle snaking away into the scenery of rocks, boulders, and pebbles. Roc scrambled up taking the hand of Laredo. Roc's face was purely that of terror. Roc took a couple steps back.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?" Roc shouted.

"Why yes we did-" Chen started to say but was cut off by Roc.

"That came out of no where like a rattle snake!" Roc said.

"Rattle snakes commonly shake their rattles and they are noisy," Lazarus said. "This is a in-correct comparison."

"Oh, a mining station!" Tawny said, going after the direction of the mining.

"Mining station?" Peter and Chen said at once, curiously going after Gwen as did Laredo.

Roc stayed away from the rocks with eyes pried and as he did, the curled up splattered piece of rock moved among the rocky scenery. The first detail that Tawny noticed is that it appeared to be abandoned. Second, is that every metal at this site were covered in metal. Third detail that was noticed was that there were plenty of beryllium spheres all over the place. Chen's eyes boggled at the sight of so many beryllium spheres. Roc was raising a eyebrow at the suspiciously deserted scenery. Lazarus closed the mapper then put it into his pocket.

"Naturally forming metal balls on a planet that is seemingly deserted," Roc said. "I don't buy it."

"Bluechild's are likely to be shy." Lazarus said.

Roc lowered his eyebrow.

"What do Bluechild's look like, anyway?" Chen asked.

"Blue children," Peter said, earning glances from everyone. "It is only logical."

"We have one Mak'Tar," Tawny said. "Do not tell me you are becoming a Mak'Tar."

"Some species are named after their appearance," Peter said. "Like terminators, humans,dogs, elephants, dogs,cats."

"You do realize Terminators are not real,Commander." Tawny said.

"That is just a example, Lieutenant," Peter said.

"Oooh look, is that the bluechild?" Tawny said, as a couple blue child like creatures come forward out of the hole. "They look so cute."

"They are carnivores." Lazarus said.

Tawny started to move forwards but Lazarus and Roc both brought her back.

"Just because of one species dispute does not mean they are really carnivores!" Tawny said.

Peter looked over.

"Oh, one of them is hurt." Peter said.

Lazarus and Roc let go then they looked over to see what the commander was witnessing. The Bluechild were crowded around a water crate of some sort that had water falling forward and one of them was limping toward it. Tawny 'dawwed' at it seeing the reactions of the others who, by her personal opinion, "Appeared to be helping the little one." Roc pinched the bridge of his nose. Chen looked over toward Tawny with a 'really?' kind of facial expression. Laredo watched with anticipation. Peter had a curious expression. Lazarus had a stoic yet otherwise a 'it is going to die.' look in his eyes knowingly.

The injured Bluechild collapsed and the rest of the Bluechild crowd jumped on him, teeth out, eyes and hands prepared for a feast.

"Yuck!" Tawny said as they went back behind the large rock.

"Next we know, there is going to be a hundred of them." Roc said.

"Don't be so melodramatic." Laredo said.

"Melodramatic?" Roc repeated. "This is the best mood I can bring up! You have told me several of your adventures with your family and they don't end pretty! Where there is one; there is a hundred, and why don't you have a plasma pistol, Commander? Oh god, do we have a insane man?" Peter took him by the shoulders. "Are you?"

"Loosen up," Peter said. "Or you are going back to the surface pod without back up. We are all afraid, right now, but can you run?"

Roc nodded.

"Can you run the miles we just went in under a hour?" Peter asked.

Roc nodded.

"Fantastic." Peter said, with a all too familiar grin letting go of Roc's shoulders.

Tawny recognized that grin.

 _That_ grin.

"Wait, what are you thinking of?" Tawny asked.

"Tawny and Laredo, you be our watch out over there on the boulder overpass," Peter said. "Chen," Chen raised his eyebrows. "You and Roc will be over there," Peter pointed at a rocky passage way leading directly toward the distant gray dot, "The more hands we get during the rolling, the better we are. Lazarus and I will start the rolling soon as the Bluechild's are out of the way. Tawny and Laredo, if you see the Bluechild's coming our direction; tell us through Vox."

Tawny nodded.

The group split up in pairs going different directions.

"Lazarus, I have something to tell you." Peter said.

"And what is that, Commander?" Lazarus asked.

"I haven't told anyone this," Peter said, as they both hid behind a a large hover-like car being cautious and wary for the Bluechild. He looked over toward Lazarus. "But the Thermians are still generating my new heart," Lazarus's eyes went wide. "I currently have a heart brace. I only have half a heart."

"Half a heart is deadly," Lazarus said. "A human cannot live without _half_ an organ."

"Humans can live without one kidney." Peter said.

"A kidney?" The two darted behind what seemed to be a tipped over crate. "A kidney isn't much important as it is for your heart!" Lazarus replied. "Wait, is that why you have been drinking that strange liquid when we were eating?" He looked at Peter with a expression of disbelief. "What is it for, anyway?"

"It helps the heart," Peter said. "And it is a lot like water."

Lazarus raised an eyebrow.

"Free flowing purple liquid moves like water," Lazarus said. "Everyone says eating is good for the heart. But everyone is wrong. There is a specific reason why carbohydrate's can instigate heart attacks! The carbohydrates build up in various parts of the heart and prevent the heart from beating."

"It makes the heart more easier to beat, Lazarus," Peter said. "It takes the strain of the heart brace and loosens the grip. Just so I wouldn't be in pain, and regular water will just get in the way."

Lazarus stared at Peter, studying the human, and the Mak'Tar's facial expression turned into realization.

"It hurts you." Lazarus said.

"Precisely," Peter said. "Had to find out the hard way before coming to Earth. Betzalar reassured me the regenerated heart will be completed by the end of the day."

"Then why did you fall into my arms?" Lazarus asked.

"Betzalar told me there were some complications as the metal heart brace is the first of its kind," Peter said. "Non-fetal side effects." Peter looked from the edge of the crate. There were not a sign of Bluechilds in the open, strangely, not even near the watering hole. "I do not see the Bluechilds. Let's go."

Peter and Lazarus darted toward the middle berllium sphere then they went to the back end and started rolling. There was a series of beeps from Peter's Vox. Peter took out his Vox, then said, "Peter here."

"They are all over the place!" Came Tawny's voice. "Run!"

Peter closed his Vox then put it back on its holster.

"Faster!" Peter said.

They rolled the beryllium sphere back the clear flat path. Eventually the group of six regrouped. Lazarus said, "Do not look back." Roc looked over away from the sphere then said, "Oh my god." at the massive crowd of short child like aliens heading their direction. Roc turned away with a scream, "ROLL THIS SUCKER!" joining the rolling. We watch the rolling speed faster and faster away from the crowd. Eventually they made it to the surface pod changing their positions to the back end. However,due to the chaos that had unfolded, Peter was still at the back. He got onto the top ordering the doors be shut.

One of the Bluechilds grabbed Peter by the ankles.

Peter's grip on the cracks in the sphere loosened. It was that instant look of horror that washed upon Peter's face did Lazarus know that something had grabbed his ankles. As did Chen and Roc. Laredo and Tawny were already at the controls when Lazarus,Chen, and Roc grabbed Peter by the hands (and the wrist) but he was slipping from their grasp. Roc's grip on peter's wrist was broken. Chen's hand let go of Peter's left hand. And Lazarus was the last one to let go of Peter's right hand shouting, "Captain!" Lazarus sounded afraid, scared, and concerned for the human. But mostly scared of losing him. The doors closed behind Peter.

Lazarus went over to the window as the surface pod flew into the sky.

His hand landed on the window watching Peter's figure being held at the top of the crowd likely frightened and Lazarus's eyes glared down at the Bluechild's in contempt and anger.

"We will get him back." Lazarus said.


	14. Being dropped

The crowd of Bluechilds dropped Peter to the ground with a hard thud and Peter's eyes faced the sky where he could see the surface pod flying through the atmosphere. The metal crashed against his heart. Peter winced at the god horrifying pain the metal was making against what remained of his heart. _Screwitscrewitscrewitscrewitscrewit screw Sarris_ , Peter thought, opening his eyes to see the figure of the surface pod vanishing out of sight.

"Ow." Peter clenched at his chest.

They spoke in a strange tongue.

Unfamiliar.

Odd.

Strange.

They tilted their heads at him then shared glances.

"What are you staring at?" Peter asked, as one of them looked over toward him with a smile.

One of the Bluechilds picked up a rounded rough edged gray rock.

"Oh no," Peter said. "Not _that_!"

And then they hit him at the head making his world go dark.


	15. Escaping the Goriknak

Peter's eyes opened to the chanting of 'Goriknack'. He got up feeling a pain radiating from his head, his eyes adjusted to the brownish yellow scenery complete with a blue sky that lacked clouds. He could see the mountain ridges from all around. He could hear a faint beeping from his holster that was distinctive. Low melodic beeping. Peter rubbed the side of his head feeling a soft pinch of pain. He lowered his hand down to his line of sight.

He could see there being dark red blood on his fingertips.

"Goriknack!"

"Goriknack!"

"Goriknack!"

"Goriknack!"

Peter took out his Vox then flipped open.

"Lazarus, so what about Goriknack?" Peter asked.

"It means rock in the Bluechild's language." Lazarus said

"Hold on, I am going to attempt digitizing you." Came Chen's voice.

"Sir, we have never used the digitize conveyor on anyone before." Came a alien male voice.

Two years after the destruction of the original _Protector_ , Peter was humiliated in some way. Though he never talked about it with anyone afterwards. Peter stepped back at seeing what seemed to be an alien pig with huge jaws and a small curly tail, jeeze, it almost looked like a cross between a hog and a pig packed into a hunched back dog. Peter's eyes widened.

"Hold on," Came Tawny's voice. "How come you never mentioned this to us before?"

"We used pods and surface pods," Oh, that sounded a lot like Neru. Peter zipped his jacket down then took it off. "We planned to have tech sergeant Chen do a diagnostics and test run after this mess was over."

"You had many chances to tell me," Chen said. "Including after the problem at engineering I had to solve."

"It wasn't important at the time." Neru said.

Peter lowered the Vox striking at the pig with his jacket stepping back.

"Now it is!" Peter said. "Chen, digitize the pig somewhere on the planet. Anywhere but here!" The beast lunged at his legs. "Not the legs!" He struck at the pig's forehead making the animal flinch. "Torro!" The pig stepped back showing the sharp fangs. "Torro!" Peter shook the jacket making it act as a tug of rope striking at the pig. "Torro!" Peter heard a sigh over the line. "I know my jacket isn't red," The pig caught the jacket then shook it from side to side shredding it into pieces. "Doctor Lazarus, but I have been _dying_ to say that to a pig."

"Digitizing." Chen said.

The pig vanished into thin air as it lunged back at Peter.

There was dead silence, at first followed by what sounded like squealing, "What's happening?"

"The pig has made it to the ship-" Neru said.

"Oh good." Peter said.

"But a bit inside out-" Then Peter heard a sickening sound. "And it exploded."

"It exploded?" Peter said. "Uh," Peter noticed the cheering had stopped. "Maybe that pig was for entertainment."

"Logically, that is correct." Lazarus said.

Peter watched the crowd of Bluechilds flee.

He turned around to see a mass of rock taking on a purely gigantic humanoid form.

"Cheeen!" Peter said. "Digitize me!"

"I can't do this!" Chen said. "She could kill him!" His voice started to sound distant. "She killed a pig!"

Peter heard the voices of Tawny,Roc, and Laredo become distant.

"Well, Peter," Lazarus said. "It looks like Chen is out of the question."

Peter lunged forward getting out of the Goriknak's path where a boulder was crushed by the sheer force it had.

"Advise me, doctor!" Peter shouted into the Vox.

The Goriknak turned toward Peter.

"It is a rock, perhaps it has weakness." Lazarus suggested.

The ground trembled below the Goriknak's feet, so Peter did the most logical option: run.

"ROCKS DON'T HAVE VULNERABLE SPOTS." Peter reminded Lazarus.

"You should have taken some water."

A thought crossed Peter's mind briefly, and he considered the idea looking over toward the towering rock beast that lacked eyes or a mouth. It was terrifying and both fun, at the same time for the forty-seven year old man. Peter gulped at the Goriknak then went down the rocky path running fast as his legs could carry him. He could feel the metal braces surrounding his heart, pumping blood through the body, and his thoughts were all over the place. _I wonder if Lazarus will feel my death. Perhaps he will. He could sense my near-to-being-killed by Sarris's personal assassin._ _Am I going to die here? Am I going to die being crushed to death by a rock monster? Am I going to die on a sandy planet?_ He was sweating, profusely. _Damn, I always knew I was going to die alone. Let alone nearly drowning as a kid at a lake in Iowa while everyone was distracted if not for my big brother John Thomas Taggart._ His heart expanded pressing against one of the fine sharp points to the heart brace. It pierced in to the side of his heart. _I forgot to call mom about-_

Suddenly Peter collapsed to the ground his Vox still in his right hand. His eyes were open eerily staring at the direction of his hand that held the Vox. The Bluechilds looked over their protective hide outs. Some of them appeared to be disappointed that the human had become unresponsive during the chase. A few of them appeared to be concerned. A few were unsure, really, why the human had stopped. One of them smacked their hands on a small wide rock getting a cut on the side of their hand.

The rock monster stopped in its path, scratching its head, looking around.

Lazarus gripped on the metal sides to the digital conveyor console with a sharp gasp, his fingers clenching into the metal.

"Peter!" Lazarus shouted. "Are you there? Answer me! Peter!"

The rock monster turned away.

"If I do it, I will kill him!" Chen protested.

The rock monster started to walk away from Peter's body.

"You are the best tech sergeant we know," Laredo said. "You wouldn't be on the Protector because you didn't know your stuff and trusted the machines to do their job."

"This is not NSEA certified technology." Lazarus said, casually.

"Not helping!" Tawny said.

Lazarus closed his eyes and prayed to Grabthar that he was wrong at first.

 _Grabthar_ , Lazarus prayed, _Please let me be wrong_. Lazarys could not sense the psychic bond he shared with Peter. _If Commander Peter Quincy Taggart dies today then nothing will ever be the same. If Peter is dead, allow him to entreat your heaven and live without ailment or pain, peacefully. If Peter is dead, I will be unpleased. I will avenge him! I will give it a go at Goriknak if I have to._ Lazarus looked over toward the sizzling screen feeling a tear come down the side of his cheek. _Bring him back to me._ His eyes closed. _Please._

The tear landed on the screen.

Peter's remaining heart deflated to its original size a bit with a hole that miraculously was getting filled up. The darkness in Peter's eyes faded. There was a certain brightness that began to return. The rock monster was fifteen feet away when he heard the sound of a shoe sliding against the ground. Goriknak turned in the direction of the sources sound.

The screen on the digital conveyor returned.

"Did I hear a child crying?" Came Peter's voice.

Lazarus's eyes opened and his grip in the metal loosened, there was a look of surprise, delight,and overall a look of sincere happiness on his face.

"Peter!" Lazarus shouted, a little too loudly.

Peter looked over his shoulder to see the Goriknak running his direction.

"It is still coming after me!" Peter shouted.

Peter weighed his options, running or either collapsing again.

"Fascinating." Lazarus said.

"I am all ears, Lazarus!" Peter said.

"Throw a rock, any rock," Lazarus said. "And do not strain yourself. Stand still."

Peter picked up a couple of rocks then gave them a good throw one by one. One of them hit the remains of a hover car breaking into the glass. There were what seemed to be Bluechild's inside the car, their eyes widening in horror, and two of them grabbed at the handles to the doors trying to bust them open. Three of the bluechilds banged on the window shield that apparently was bullet proof. The Goriknak smashed his rocky fists into the car through the roof where screams were heard inside. Goriknak did this numerous times until the hover car was flattened to the ground and the screams had ceased. His wrist was covered in green blood.

Peter picked up another rock then tossed it into the distance.

The Goriknak went after the direction of the rock where it collided with a behemoth of rocks making quite the tumble.

"Yes!" Peter said. "Now one of you digitize me up from this wasteland!"

There was a pause.

"I do not know how to operate the machine." Lazarus said.

Peter sighed, his eyes wincing with much pain.

"Cheeeen!" Peter said.

The rocks started to move from the planet surface taking shape on the surface.

"Yes?" Chen asked, sounding far from the active Vox.

"You are the best man in the NSEA who can pinpoint a moving figure no matter the situation." Peter said.

"But that was with THE _Protector_! This is a knock-off!" Chen said. "Respectfully, she may have the looks and the equipment of the original, but the will to beam aboard a living being such as you?" Peter watched the rocks start to come up. "No disrespects, Commander,but I like the original much better. I could kill you! She could kill you!"

"I don't understand," Peter said, as Goriknak stood up flexing his hands out. "I am not moving, I-" He stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide, his mouth gaping. "Oh no." It was _logical._ Totally logical other than sound being a form of weakness to the rock monster. "My heart."

From the Goriknak's perspective, it could hear the heartbeat to Peter's heartbeat like a heart on adrenaline going, _th-thump tha-thump_. It started to form through the cracks the shape of a smile. Peter's hand clenched around the Vox. The hair on the back of his neck went up. Goosebumps went down his arms. He could feel certain doom upon him.

"Chen!" Peter shouted. "This is based off the original Digital conveyor! She has had her faults, remember the one time where Doctor Lazarus came back as a guy with black hair, pointy ears, blue uniform, and he was still our Lazarus? That time I was also different. Blonde hair and yellow shirt. We were still us in different bodies!" He just stood there feeling the ground tremble. "And you found the time to save our butts-"

The Goriknak tossed him against a rocky wall.

"By replicating the situation and bringing us to our rightful bodies." Jim finished with a cough.

 **Tremble**. **Tremble**. **Tremble**.

"I remember that day clearly," Laredo said. "Those eyebrows." He snickered. "Man. Those slanted eyebrows."

"Yes, yes, yes I remember it," Chen said. "But this is nothing like it, captain." He shook his right hand swaying it from side to side. "It was hurting the doctor to experience emotion and you just looked unnatural in that young man's body. It was like being stuck in a paradoxical _Protector_ with us and a different leading body."

"The digital conveyor is based on the original!" Peter said. "She brought us back, intact-"

"What about the time you were brought into the mirror universe?" Chen asked, now sounding closer.

"Well, that's different!" Peter replied, now upside down being held by the Goriknak. "Chen, I know you, you can do this." The Goriknak swung Peter in the air. "If I am going to die, then at least let me die by one of my best man trying to save my life." There was a sob heard coming from Chen. "Dying by the Goriknak? Now that is horrible. I rather die inside out than being crushed to death!"

Peter was tossed through a glass window to what once was a green house.

"Ow," Peter said, turning over. "And as I was saying. You can do it!" Chen sounded as though he were saying, "She killed a pig, captain. Not me." in defense. Peter ran through the doorway then looked over his shoulder to see rock monster crashing through leaving a wreckage being a mess of vines, pottery, and glass. "She can do it! I believe in the _Protector II_!" He ran out of the doorway heading to the tipped over hover-jeep. "She may not be our _Protector_ , but she is the _Protector_ 's daughter."

"The old girl's daughter?" Chen said.

"Yes!" Peter said. "You love the ship to death and if she is her daughter, then well, we are in luck! She has the _Protector_ 's luck. You pulled us out of the tightest situations. You got us home safe and sound. You installed the Omega 13. Frankly, what you do for the rest of us is the kind where you get a medal. I don't know how you can stand me breaking some of the machines and still go around to fix them every time. She adores you. You adore her back. Perhaps the old ship is all around us . . . After all, she is the _Protector_. Our _Protector_. Just brand new. One to digitize!"

The Goriknak was fast approaching Peter.

"Preparing to digitize." Chen said.

Peter prepared to shield himself for the oncoming fist. However, his figure began to break apart pixel by pixel in a shade of blue. He almost looked like a video game character being downloaded into a data like screen where animators played around with the characters. The Goriknak's fist goes through the digitizing figure landing where Peter had once been. The Goriknak raised an rocky eyebrow staring down at what had been there.

The Goriknak was left with a environment with plenty of vibrations, movement, really.


	16. To safety, or maybe not

Apparent doom did not come. Instead Peter opened his eyes to see his crew headed toward him. Lazarus was the one happier among the group. The floor was caked by disgusting insides and outsides to a pig complete with a few sets of fangs on the consoles. One of the fangs was on Neru's shoulder. They all had big smiles on their faces. Chen patted on the console, his shoulders relaxing, and his face generally showed relief while he was drenched in sweat. Tawny was the first to bring Peter into a hug.

"And you didn't get your shirt torn off." Tawny said, jokingly.

"Don't insult the shirt." Peter said in a not-so-serious-tone, earning a laugh from Tawny and half of the others except for Roc.

Peter ended the hug.

"Welcome back, Commander." Neru said, as Peter hugged Lazarus.

"Its good to be alive." Peter said.

Lazarus tightly hugged Peter.

 _Thank you, Grabthar,_ Lazarus mentally thanked one of his gods.

There is Mokthar (which is like Mak'Tar's version of Jesus) and Ipthar (spouse of Mokthar). Grabthar is the creator of the Mak'Tar gods, one with a hammer. The Lucifer to the Mak'Tar gods was Hellthar. To Terran outsiders, Mak'Tars had a million gods but in reality they had a few. Not many people knew the complete list of Mak'Tar gods except for Peter, T'Spol, and Lazarus. Speaking of T'Spol, she is currently residing on Earth headed to school at the moment. T'Spol knows how to cook the easy dinners as it was not the first time Lazarus had been out so last night wasn't much of a problem. It was a easy dinner but it didn't taste as good as Lazarus made it. He would cook the Kep-Mok for an hour, then four minutes before it was served, for her favorite dish, he would dump in a packet of cheese. It would normally take a few stir, two to three minutes to settle, then he would serve it in a bowl. Normally Kep-Mok bloodtick soup was hot and full of water filled in insects (and sometimes he spiced the serving with meatballs that made it even more delicious in her own opinion) placed on top a plate.

T'Spol cooked for thirty-five minutes.

"Hey Lazarus, you can let go of me now." Peter said.

Lazarus's grip on Peter broke and the hug ended there as Lazarus stepped aside.

"That was the longest hug I have _ever_ seen between you two," Laredo said. "Ever. In a long time."

"Easily fifteen Mississippi's." Roc said.

"You got it right, bro." Laredo said.

Roc and Laredo had a fist bump.

"Okay, Neru," Peter said. "We can go back home send and send you back to your home planet-" The look on Neru's face turned into a saddened one. "It is not even a long goodbye."

"We do not have a home planet," Neru said. "Sarris destroyed Thermia after we ditched him. We are all that is left."

"Four hundred. . ." Chen said, horrified. "I don't know about you, Commander, but they could go extinct!"

"On the edge of extinction," Lazarus said. "Sergeant."

"I am so sorry,Neru," Peter said, as his shoulders sulked. "I am so sorry."

"Don't be," Neru said. "We have you."

The doors opened to reveal a group of Fatu-Krey holding disruptor pistols in their hands, fingers wrapped around the triggers, and they did not pay attention to the room covered in intestinal/inside body parts. The few Thermians who were in there had stopped in their tracks apparently afraid and frozen in fear. Neru had the same reaction. One of the Fatu-Krey that stood out had a black eyepatch covering his left eye while his left arm seemed to be replaced by a metal cyborg body part.

"Commander Taggart," Lieutenant Kancar said. "My general would like to speak with you." His men raised their pistols up. He turned his head in the direction of the other crew members. "Raise your hands up and do not move." His eyes landed on the Thermians. "You will be taken to your barracks where you will face your punishment for attacking us. General's orders."

Peter looked over toward the rest of his crew who seemed to be at once: panicked, afraid, and concerned.

"Don't be afraid," Peter said. "We will get out of this," earning scowls and at least on hopeful look. Then Peter turned in the direction of Kancar with a serious demeanor. "Take me to your leader."


	17. More damage than

Tawny paced back and forth in the wide cell, her arms folded, and her facial expression was that of worry. Laredo and Roc were situated together on the same bench holding hands. Lazarus was standing still, his eyes on the wall lost in thought. Chen was just Chen, standing there, sweat free. Chen's fingers were fidgeting.

"It has been thirty-two minutes," Tawny said. "And he has not come back."

"Is this what it feels when you and the Commander are stuck in a cell?" Chen asked.

"A majority of the time I chose to block out my feelings and focus on the problem," Lazarus said. "I feel nothing."

Laredo gasped, mostly in shock and validation.

"So you do feel." Laredo said.

Lazarus raised an arched eyebrow then he lowered it down.

"Mak'Tars do not need to rely on emotion," Lazarus said. "It is illogical."

"For once, I want to hear that Mak'Tar's rely on emotions," Laredo said. "You hugged the Commander for _five minutes_! The Commander is the _only_ person in the entire universe who makes you smile. And I saw you smile, that is rare coming from you, and you were _happy_." Laredo stood up letting go of Roc's hand then approached the Mak'Tar. "I have known you for four years, Doctor!" Laredo shook his index finger at the older man. "In those years you have totally gone against your own saying 'Mak'Tars are emotionless'. I theorize that emotions is your greatest weapon and your kind have restrained them to be used wisely hence becoming their strength. Now that part: I do understand,Doctor Lazarus." Laredo nodded. "So you are not fooling me about lacking emotions."

Lazarus raised an arched eyebrow.

"What if you were right?" Lazarus suggested.

* * *

Peter was strapped to a table, barely lucid, his hand covered in burns, and his eyes winced.

"The Commander. . ." Sarris said, walking alongside the man strapped to the table with forearms burned. "The one Mathesar talks so highly of," His fingers trail alongside a rounded button with a keyhole in the center. "I wonder how he will react to the commander being strapped to a table just like him?" Peter's eyes became widened in fear and horror. "His injuries are more thorough than yours."

Peter's hands clenched into fists.

"What did you do to him?" Peter asked.

Sarris grinned.

"What I had to do while you were away," Sarris said. "You make them think that they can get away from me. But they can't. I will always find them."

"You make them sound like they are game." Peter said, in disgust.

"They were always my hunt from the beginning," Sarris said. "Bickering politicians, naive, and so innocent." He rubbed his fingers together. "They were on the verge of becoming corrupted and pointless devastation, so I did the Thermians a favor by striking first." His menacing voice matched his demeanor as Sarris held up his fist while the other was on the torture device. "Their women make quite the sex slaves."

"And you destroyed their home planet?" Peter said.

"Half of it was left: enough of them survived to be my miners." Sarris said.

"Slave miners." Peter said, feeling disgust in his throat.

Sarris smiled lowering his fist down.

"Of course." Sarris said.

Peter looked up toward Sarris, his eyes narrowed, and his eyebrows laced together.

"Doesn't that strike you as wrong?" Peter said.

"No," Sarris said as the look of disgust is replaced by horror on Peter's face. "But I am prepared to do what I should have done in the beginning."

"No!" Peter said.

"I can always get more of my sex slaves." Sarris said.

"Don't you understand? There will be another civilization that will rebel against you," Peter said. "They will find their heroes, they will ask for help, and there will be another group just like my crew and a person like me! Kill the Thermians . . . . and NSEA will be hot on your tail."

"You do realize they don't have powerful ships anymore." Sarris said.

"Yes. They. Do." Peter said.

"You expect me to believe the man who destroyed the powerful ship in the entire galaxy is assured that NSEA built another." Sarris said.

"It is the truth." Peter said.

"The truth is always hard to believe, and I just do not expect you to be telling the truth so easily," Sarris said. "Pain level: ten." There was a whir of clicks. "Burn level: eight." There was a beep. "Location. . . ." Sarris grew a sadistic smile. "In the torso."

Peter looked over toward Sarris in horror.

The machine had a soft beep and Sarris placed his fingers on the raised elevated surface then he pushed it down.

* * *

Lazarus collapsed to the ground landing on his side

"Lazarus!" Tawny came to his side. "What is wrong?"

Lazarus could feel the hot burning pain in his chest.

"My chest!" Lazarus said. "It burns!"

Lazarus's eyes closed as he could feel another frenzy of burns on his chest.

He could hear the sound of a zipper being pulled down and the panicked voices of the others.

"I don't see any burns." Tawny said, sounding confused.

"Maybe he is burning by the inside!" Roc suggested.

"There would be signs if his blood was boiling,Roc." Laredo said. "Internal Human Combustion is rare but not unheard of. If he were burning by the inside then there would be designs of burn marks all over his chest rippling and shredding like paper in a fireplace."

Lazarus could hear a familiar scream that was not his own. A shred of pain rippled through Lazarus's chest. He could feel the stress in what remained of his heart-wait, he had his heart intact. This is not his heart. This is not his own pain he is experiencing. His eyes squeezed. He could feel horror, fear, and anger. Those were not his emotions. It became painfully obvious that Sarris is torturing his close friend.

"It is coming from Peter!" Lazarus shouted. "By Grabthar's hammer, this is horrifying . . ."

Lazarus blacked out due to the sensory overload.

"Lazarus . . ." He heard Tawny's voice before sound became mute.

* * *

Peter's eyes adjusted to the scenery feeling pain and anger. He could see a limping figure being brought in with a slightly taller figure. The white light contrasted behind their figures. His eyes squinted to see there being a pretty banged up Mathesar aided by his brother Martinsar with a right black eye. How dare Sarris do this! Mathesar appeared to be in a good deal of pain but the look on his face brightened up a thousand watts.

"Cooommander!" Mathesar said.

Peter cleared his throat.

"Mathesar. . ." Peter said. "I am so sorry."

Mathesar looked over toward Sarris.

"What have yoou dooone tooo him?" Mathesar asked.

"It is what he has done to himself," Sarris said. "Your idol is weak. Pathetic. He is not invincible."

"Yooou have hurt him." Mathesar said.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Sarris asked, glaring down upon the shorter Thermian. "Oh," A grin spread on Sarris's face. "Right," He stepped back from Mathesar and Martinsar. " _Die_."

"We will never give up! We will never surrender tooo yoou," Mathesar said. "And we will haunt yooou froom the grave. I curse yooou with oooour dead, may yooou never find happiness: we never fooorgive, never fooorget."

"You are just saying that to be brave." Sarris said.

"Our historical documents show this is a wise choose," Mathesar said. "The undead will cooome back after we die."

"It is true." Martinsar added.

Sarris had a laugh.

"Take them back to their barracks." Sarris said.

Martinsar shot Sarris a dirty look as the ugly pair of Fatu-Krey ushed them out as Mathasar declared, "Never give up! Never surrrreeender!"

* * *

"Sure you are okay, Lazarus?" Tawny asked, as Lazarus got off the bed. "You have been out for two hours."

"The pain is no longer a bother," Lazarus said, zipping up the jacket. "For the torture has ended."

"Wait, they tortured the commander?" Roc asked, sounding afraid.

Lazarys nodded.

"Oh god." Laredo said, in disgust.

"I am getting sick." Chen said, stepping back.

"How is it that you feel the commander's pain?" Tawny raised an eyebrow.

"We have a psychic connection," Lazarus said. "I believed it had snapped or faded long ago. But apparently, much to my discovery, it has not." Tawny raised the other eyebrow. "It is rare to come by with beings that are not Mak'Tar. One in a million."

Tawny lowered her eyebrows.

"Interesting," Tawny said. "And when were you ever going to tell us this?"

"I at one point tried to dissolve the psychic connection," Lazarus said. " _I failed_."

"Oh, oh, oh, what happened?" Roc asked.

"I fainted," Lazarus said. "It was straining. Required mental discipline and complete focus. Even with the focus I had: it was useless."

"So why did you try to 'dissolve' it, doctor?" Laredo asked.

"Please, I am not a doctor." Lazarus said.

"Why did you _try_ to dissolve it, Lazarus?" Tawny asked.

"There are chances it can bind the commander and I as a item," Lazarus said. "Becoming the equivalent to the human marriage." Their eyes widened. "That is why I had tried to spare the commander of what could hurt him if I die . . . he will feel it and he will die in pain without the proper mental treatment."

Chen stepped forward.

"It _has_ become a marriage bond," Chen said, rubbing his chin. "Is that it?"

Lazarus did not respond.

"The commander does _not_ know." Laredo said, in shock.

Tawny's jaw went slack as she read Lazarus's face.

"YOU ARE ALREADY MARRIED TO THE COMMANDER AND YOU HAVEN'T TOLD HIM?" Tawny's voice had become loud.

Lazarus sighed.

"I did not expect it to happen yesterday," Lazarus said. "The marriage bond makes Mak'Tar care more about the other partner than before. Pain is more noticeable and sensitive to the Mak'Tar on the other end of the connection."

"You have to tell him." Tawny said.

Lazarus raised an arched eyebrow.

"When?" Lazarus asked, looking back at Tawny.

"After this." Tawny said.

Lazarus lowered his arched eyebrow.

"The chances are rapidly declining of our survival," Lazarus said. "The longer we are here. . . the higher chance we will die grisly."

"Well then," Tawny said. "This is the _Protector II._ The chances of dying are against us surviving this. You know when we got into a tight spot? We would overcome it. Always. Perhaps the commander is formulating a plan right now."

"I doubt that," Chen said. "After being tortured for so long . . . A tortured man would be clinging to hope."

"If he cannot live, we will have to save ourselves," Roc said. "It is only reasonable."

"It is correct." Lazarus said.

The doors opened to reveal a pair of Fatu-Krey holding disruptor pistols.

"You five, come with us," The first Fatu-Krey said. "Sarris wants you to see your leader."

 _Peter_.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, they came in to see their commander had burns along his neck, his forearms, and his hands. His shirt at the chest had been rounded holes. A thought entered the man's head. _Peter_. Dread. Worry. Fear. Anger. That was not the only emotion. It was anguish. His eyes opened to see a familiar scenery. Peter could see the looks of concern plastared on everyone's faces. The crew reluctantly came into the room.

"This is your 'prized' commander," Sarris said. "The one who refuses to give me the Omega 13 over your lives."

"L. . . Lia . . . " Peter said. "Liar!"

Sarris pressed a button sending electricity through Peter's body.

"Stop it!" Tawny demanded, stepping forward.

The two Fatu-Krey stopped Tawny from going any further toward Sarris by getting in the way.

"I am just finishing, darling," Sarris said. "You would be next, but. . ." A grin spread on Sarris face. "I want your crew to see why they have failed at this. Request historical documents to be turned on, Lieutenant."

Tawny looked over toward Peter, frightened and confused.

"Do it." Peter said.

Tawnt turned her head away.

"Computer," Tawny said. "Turn on historical documents."

The crew watched a image of the _NSEA_ _Protector_ go through the screen along with the text 'Galaxy Quest' followed by theme music.

"That's my girl!" Chen said.

"The _Protector_." Laredo said, feeling a rush of emotions.

The first to appear was a image of younger Peter brushing through his hair then a line of white text appeared below reading 'AS COMMANDER PETER QUINCY TAGGERT'.

"There is no 'E' in Taggart." Lazarus noted.

The whole music played out showing, genuine look alikes, doing what the Protector crew did in their past. Laredo's jaw dropped seeing a nine year old version of himself at the helm-station. Chen saw his younger self with make up on and he genuinely said, "I did not wear make-up back then." Tawny saw herself flip over a attacking opponent then do a self defense pose. Lazarus saw himself look at the camera raising a arched eyebrow (as did he). Then came the last scene of the Protector darting off into the next galaxy as it seemed. At the end came the credits: JASON NESMITH AS PETER QUINCY TAGGERT, ALEXANDER DANE AS DR LAZARUS, GWEN DEMARCO AS LIEUTENANT TAWNY MADISON, FRED KWAN AS SERGEANT CHEN, AND TOMMY WEBBER AS LIEUTENANT LAREDO.

"I came across this while playing torture with your so-called-commander," Sarris said. "You are all fakes."

"How dare you say that about us," Lazarus said. "I am a Mak'Tar. You are saying I am a human which I am not. Your logic is invalid as this document is not from our given universe."

"Fakes!" Sarris repeated. "The Thermians should know their efforts are in vain. Their heroes are _liars!"_ Laredo and Chen flinched. Sarris laughed. "You have done more damage than I can ever could do to them." He came alongside the strapped commander with eyes intent on the man. "You are not even _a commander_ ,Jason Nesmith of Planet Earth," His hands felt along for the electrical shocker. "You are all _actors_."

Laredo's hands had become fists.

Roc took Laredo by the shoulder stopping him from going any further.

Lazarus and Chen did not seem to be happy, as did Tawny.

"We are real as you are," Gwen said. "So do not accuse us of lying about our identity. We never knew about these historical documents until now!"

"They are not historical documents," Sarris said. "They are episodes. All of your heroic actions are based on low-life villains who were not as smart as I, and this time, you will not succeed. For I will win." He looked over toward Peter. "Say goodbye to your castmates, Jason." Peter clenched his jaw and his hands had become fists. "And last words you have?"

"My name. . . My name is Peter Quincy Taggart," Peter said. "Never surrender! Never give up!"

"Send them to the air lock," Sarris said. "Commander, watch the Thermians suffocate." Lazarus looked over toward the screen showing the oxygen being taken out of the barracks. Tawny gasped when she saw Mathesar slumped against the wall, barely breathing, along with his brother. "You will be the last to go, Jason. I will make sure of it. Self-destruct will be very soon."

Tawny looked over in the direction of Peter with horror on her face as the two guards began to guide them out.

She could see the faintest of all smirks on Peter's face, almost as though . . . He knew they were going to stop it.

There was that bold and defiant look in his eyes.

That smirk faded when Sarris looked over toward Peter and the doors had closed behind.


	18. Add insult to injury

"Doctor Lazarus, how does it feel to leave your little sister parentless?" Tawny asked.

"Shut up." Lazarus said.

"She is going to go through life without ever knowing why her brother never came back." Tawny said.

"Shut up." Lazarus said.

They came into the room where the cargo bay is air-locked and everything inside is thrown out. Chen,Laredo,and Roc remained in the background as the argument escalating fight separated Tawny and Lazarus away. The two guards put distance between the others and the two. It was odd for Lieutenant Tawny to be picking a fight with Lazarus.

"You can't retire being a doctor," Tawny said. "Doctors save people. Like how you can't save the commanders life!"

"Shut. up." Lazarus repeated.

"Grabthar would be disappointed, as would Apollo, and you know what . . . I knew you had it out for Peter all this time!" Tawny shook her hand at the Mak'Tar. "You emotionless green skinned asshole!"

Lazarus turned his head toward Tawny.

"You narcissistic bitch!" Lazarus shouted back in rage.

Pure blooded rage.

Tawny's hand balled up into a fist. Tawny was the first one to throw the punch at Lazarus's face rather than a slap. Chen gasped covering his mouth. Laredo covered his eyes. Roc brought Laredo close with eyes wide staring at the two fighting friends who normally did not fight. The two guards brought them into the room that was the air-lock. Lazarus threw the next punch at Tawny's face. They both had some good punches at one another. Tawny stood up, the side of her forehead bruised from the fall hours ago and a black eye developing on her left eye. Lazarus's fist started to go toward Tawny's direction but then it crashed into the face of the alien guard to her left. Tawny took out the other guard swiftly with a kick straight to the face.

Lazarus and Tawny got out of the room then Chen pressed a button on the console hooked into the wall and then another. The doors closed on the two guards as they started to get up on their feet. The supporting wall behind them slid right up. Their faces were priceless as the suction of outer space started to drag them out. The barrels, of course, followed soon afterwards. Their bodies were coated in green icicles as they fell out of sight.

"Narcissistic bitch?" Tawny asked. "Is that the best you could come up with?"

"My skin does not turn green," Lazarus said. "I would have argued with your assessment but you were busy provoking me. It became clear that you were planning on ejecting them out of the ship after the green skinned insult." A smile spread on Tawny's face. "I came to the conclusion that you had a plan. And you had a logical reason to attempt insulting me."

"You got quite the arm there throwing punches." Tawny said.

"My father,Luchien, taught me." Lazarus said.

Tawny raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" Tawny asked.

"My other father, a human, was insulted at school during my childhood." Lazarus said.

Tawny lowered her eyebrow.

"Why am I not surprised you were born from a gay couple?" Tawny asked.

"Because our biology suits us to deliver our siblings at a later hormonal date and we are built to deliver, no matter our genders." Lazarus said.

"Damn, your entire family is wired different!" Tawny said.

"Thank you." Lazarus said.

"So, what, is there a chance your sister is gay too?" Tawny asked.

Lazarus nodded.

"Affirmative," Lazarus said. "She has already come out to me as bisexual."

Tawny appeared to be surprised lowering her eyebrow.

"Nice punches." Tawny said.

A nice shade of green appeared below Lazarus's eyes on the cheeks.

"No need to compliment me." Lazarus said, shaking his hand.

"We got a ship and a whole species to rescue!" Chen said.

Lazarus nodded.

"Computer, stop self-destruction." Tawny said.

"Negative," The computer replied. "There is a over-ride in place."

"Damn it." Tawny said.

And the group left the room.

"Nice fight." Roc said, following.


	19. I am a doctor, not a

They made it to the room Peter was held in.

"About time you showed up," Peter said, noticing the long-looking expression on Tawny's face. "Let me guess: override?"

"Yes, commander." Tawny said.

"Damn," Peter said. "We'll just have to do it manually."

Chen and Laredo worked on the binds wrapped around Peter's wrists, while Roc removed the binds around Peter's ankles. Peter had a sigh of relief once the straps were off. Peter got himself upright wincing his eyes feeling pain at his burned arms, wrist, and chest. The pain was disturbing but tolerable. He opened his eyes to see his crew were mere figures of blurs but the distinctive colors made it easy to tell who was who. Peter felt a hand place itself on his shoulder, steadying him. For some reason Peter knew it was Lazarus.

"Tawny and Lazarus, go stop the self destruction," Peter said. "Laredo, you must practice driving a starship." Laredo sighed. "Chen and Laredo, you are bringing oxygen back into those barracks. Me? Well, I need time to rest on this." He briefly closed his eyes feeling tired. "And some burn treatments."

"Commander," Lazarus said. "It was Lieutenant Tawny's idea."

Peter smiled toward Tawny.

"You should really get a promotion one of these days, Lieutenant." Peter said.

Lazarus took his hand off Peter's shoulder.

"Let's go." Tawny said.

"I will take him to the medical quarters." Lazarus said.

The group split up leaving Lazarus and Peter behind.

Lazarus helped up Peter.

"Lazarus. . ." Peter said. "Fourteen years ago. . . I used the Omega 13."

"But you never did." Lazarus said.

"If I had not given up and surrendered, we would have all died," Peter said. "I chose my crew over my ship." They came out of the room together. "Lazarus. . . I used the machine eight hundred times."

"Eight hundred times?" Lazarus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of all the ways I could attempt to save my crews lives," Peter said. "It didn't hit home until _you died_."

"Peter. . ." Lazarus said. "You surrendered to save our lives. You did use Omega 13. You were hurt from what you did." He propped the commander against the wall, his hands clenched around the man's shoulder, his eyes appearing to be concerned toward the human. "I understand now. You were feeling guilty then and you have forgiven yourself." His hands clenched around Peter's shoulder. "Peter, remember the psychic bond?"

"I do." Peter said.

"Well," Lazarus said. "As of yesterday, it has turned into a marriage bond." Peter's jaw dropped. "We are officially _married_ under Mak'Tar law."

"How. . . shocking," Peter's vision became blurred. "Hey," Peter looked over toward Lazarus. "At least you get to be the hero."

"I am a doctor, not a protagonist." Lazarus said.

Peter smiled, placing one hand on the side of Lazarus's face gently.

"Yes, you are," Peter said. "Leave me in the other quarters. . . I can walk on my own."

The smile faded on Peter's face.

"You are burned, Peter." Lazarus said, taking Peter's hand off the side of his face feeling his fingers meet Peter's skin sending a warm feeling through his body.

Peter had a weak smile toward the Mak'Tar.

"That never stopped me." Peter said.

Lazarus found a nearby room.

"I will come back for you," Lazarus said. "And you will be treated for the injuries before we return to Earth." Lazarus let go of the man's shoulders then he proceeded to guide him down the hall until they came into the room. "Fourteen years . . ." Peter's smile had faded. "Had it ever come across your mind that you could have told me?"

Lazarus came to the doors of a spare quarters, "Open."

The doors opened then Lazarus went in.

"The thought did," Peter said. "But you were busy raising your sister. I took my hand back every time. After all, the 800th time. . . I nearly lost all the souls on the command deck." Lazarus placed Peter down onto the couch. "Not my family." Their hands were intertwined and they had a fixed gaze to one another. Peter could see Lazarus's eyes. Lazarus wanted to hug the man but here he is, burned, and likely weak. "And this time: my family is _not going to die because of my stubborn motto_."

 **TEN MINUTES TO DETONATION**.

"I will be right back,Peter." Lazarus said.

"Go get them, tiger." Peter said, letting go of Lazarus's hand.

Lazarus walked toward the door, with a mutter as he left, the doors closed behind him.


	20. Never give up! Never surrender!

When Peter believed that Lazarus was out of sight and out of the hall, Peter fell off the couch. Peter knew exactly where the main barracks were. Peter got up using the couch as his guide feeling the slightest of all numbness in his legs. A limp, really. If he needed treatment then let him be dammed for at least being present for the one of many other doctors who will not be busy saving the ship. Peter found a long wooden like bamboo on the table across from the couch. His wrist still hurt but he can live it.

"A bamboo stick," Peter said. "How convenient."

The bamboo stick acted as a support leading him toward the door (which he knew was there even though it was blurry) then he requested the door open. The door slide open revealing a gray blur. Peter walked out of the room then went in the opposite direction that Lazarus had gone. Even though he is not going to be the hero, he just wanted to help. After all, that is what he did even on Earth and in space: he helped people. Saving lives was just a bonus.

He came to the corner of the hall then leaned over to notice a guard at the door holding a disruptor pistol.

Unlike fourteen years ago, this was not a no-win scenario.

 **FIVE MINUTES TO DETONATION**.

"Coooommander?" Came a familiar voice from above.

Peter looked up above to see a purple squid like being attached to the wall holding a long pipe in his tentacles.

"Mathesar?" Peter said, confused. "But you are-"

With a **poo-ooop** , Mathesar landed on the ground returning to his human form and picked up the pipe appearing to have the looks of Quellek. Mathesar even had the Mak'Tar head design, gills, purple wiggly hair like parts beside his ears, and the purple like ridges along his gills.

"Quellek and I exchanged appearance generators due tooo a bet," Mathesar said. "I was using the Mak'Tar stealth haze to hide frooom Sarris's men. Quellek and I share a fascinatioooon in the Mak'Tar culture." He had a grin, appearing to be unharmed, and very well pleased until he noticed the injuries Peter had. His eyebrows shot up. "Cooomander, yoou have been hurt."

"I am fine, Mathesar." Peter said, shaking his free hand.

Mathesar appeared to be concerned.

"Your burns will be treated by Betzalar," Mathesar said. "The heart will be completed by Earth night."

Peter nodded.

"Lazarus and Tawny are stopping the self destruction," Peter said. "Are you skilled in tackling?"

Mathesar nodded.

"I have studied your fighting style and have, at one point, used it against one of Sarris's men successfully." Mathesar said.

Peter looked over toward the guard at the door then back to Mathesar appearing to be confident.

"Good," Peter said. "You are my back up."

* * *

Roc looked into the window of the life support room where in the center were Sarris men watching the cameras and some were not. Some of the warriors had their weapons on the table and some were holding them leaning against the wall while a few were on the catwalk chatting.

It made Roc gulp.

"How the hell are we going to stop them?" Roc asked, turning his head in the direction of Chen.

Chen looked over toward the window then back to Roc.

"Goriknak." Chen said.

Roc's face became pale.

"You are gonna crush them to death and the equipment!" Roc said. "Then the Thermians will all die."

"Not if the troops run out of the room themselves." Chen said.

Roc gasped as the idea solidified in his head.

"Oh, I see!" Roc said. "That sounds pretty genius."

Chen nodded.

"Right you are," Chen said, as they turned away from the door. "What is your rank again?"

"Lieutenant," Roc said. "I am currently awaiting reassignment."

They came into the digital conveyor room and Chen went to the console. He set in a different destination then moved the handle pointing the target at a figure on a rocky scenery. There was a slowly growing smile spreading across Chen's face. He was confident. It had to work. This here is the direct relative of the original Digital Conveyor. He saw a patch of rocks moving in sync. He could feel victory coursing through his body. He knew it would work. This was rock. Rock wasn't organic material.

Chen pressed the side buttons to the handle locking on Goriknak.

Our scene shows Goriknak appear in the life support room then stand upright towering over the smaller figures on the computer screen.

 _VIBRATIONS_!

The beast swung his fist knocking over Sarris's men.

"I love my job." Chen said, beaming proudly.

Roc pat on Chen's shoulder.

"Good job, sergeant!" Roc said.

"Now we watch for the best part." Chen said.

Our scene watch Sarris's men flee the room with the Goriknak close behind them. They shot back at the beast only for the disruptor pistols to become jammed. They dropped their weapons in their flee. Roc took his hand off Chen's shoulder staring into the screen watching the frightened hysterical looks on their face. The door was pushed up by Goriknak chasing after these vibrations. Eventually they made it to the air-lock where one pressed a button out of desperation.

What remained of the group and Goriknak were jetted out.

 _Peace._

Finally, _peace and quiet_.

No more vibrations.

Goriknak was happy.

* * *

"We have been saved by the crew of the Protector!"

"YAY!"

"Finally." Peter said, happy to hear someone cheer someone else for saving their lives for once.

Quellek and Mathesar exchanged appearance generators, apparently Quellek had deliberately spoken different like Mathesar to not alert Sarris that at least one Thermian was on the loose. Peter was genuinely happy. Peter heard a shot. He turned around to see Mathesar standing at the doorway with a hole in his chest, eyes wide, then he looked down and turned his head toward Peter. There were fear in those alien eyes.

Peter could hear his own heartbeat as his jaw dropped and horror sunk in.

"I have been shoooot." Mathesar said.

"Brother!" Martinsar shouted.

Mathesar collapsed to the floor forwards rather than backwards. The two closets Thermians brought Mathesar into the room followed by the firing of Sarris men. The firing came to a stop as they had gotten to safety. Peter came over to the injured Thermians side. He could see the injury was located right where the heart should be. Peter had seen blood before, oh that he has, not the first time. He was brought alongside the first metal bed.

"Damn Sarris's men." Betzalar said.

"Cooomander. . ." Mathesar said. "Will you. . . Will yooou help my peoooople find a new hoooome?"

Now everyone's attention were on Peter.

"I will," Peter said, taking the hand of Mathesar. "I promise."

Mathesar smiled.

"Never give up . . . . " Mathesar said.

"Never surrender." Peter said finished for Mathesar as he looked down toward Mathesar sadly.

"I am hooonnooored tooo be in your presence." Mathesar said.

"You can go, Mathesar," Peter said. "I can handle it from here."

 _By Grabthar's hammer_ , Peter thought watching the life draining from Mathesar's face, _under the suns of Warvan_ ,life vanished from Mathesar's eyes, _YOU SHALL BE AVENGED_. He closed the eyes of Mathesar. Four years around the Mak'Tar Peter had heard the phrase, it didn't fully come to meaning for fourteen years, and the phrase _finally_ came to full meaning. He could feel pure utter rage and vengeance. He laid down Mathesar to the floor then picked up the long bamboo stick that he had dropped while using it to jimmy open the door with Mathesar. Peter slowly stepped into the hall, his grip tightening around the middle of the long staff like weapon. He came into the middle of the hall where he faced the first of what could be determined as one of many troops staring back at him.

The guard could clearly read the look of malicious intent on Peter's face and his grip on the plasma pistol loosened.

"Mother." The guard said.

Then Peter charged right toward the paralyzed Fatu-Krey.


	21. Defeat

Betzalar had Peter go to the medical quarters and be treated for his burns, after Peter finished off the Fatu-Krey by a kick to the face which ended up breaking his neck.

"Done?" Betzalar asked, one hand on the man's shoulder.

"Done." Peter said, leaning against Betzalar.

Betzalar, with help from Nurse Glath, and Peter's eyes closed. When Peter's eyes reopened he was in the commanders chair, his arms covered in white gauze, and Betzalar was informing him not to remove the fabric without a doctor or a nurse present. Peter simply nodded feeling the slightest of all lethargic. Laredo's station had been repaired, apparently, in nifty time. His wrists were covered in gauze as well. The doors opened to reveal Tawny and Lazarus with Roc right behind them

Peter looked over,his vision clear, toward Lazarus with a thousand watt smile.

"You should be resting." Lazarus said, as Tawny went to her station.

"Rested long enough," Peter said, then he turned his head in the direction of Laredo. "Laredo, take us out."

The _Protector II_ shook from side to side.

"The lower decks are rid of Fat-Krey," Tawny reported. "Commander."

* * *

"They will pay." Sarris said, his wings of doom had folded and his hands were packed into fists.

"Yes, General," His Lieutenant Commander said. "And so will we."

Sarris looked over to his advisor.

"Did I hear doubt in your voice?" Sarris asked, intimidating the shorter Fatu-Krey with vicious eyes.

The Lieutenant Commander shook his head.

"No, General." The Lieutenant Commander said.

"Follow after them!" Sarris shouted. "And fire at will, continuously!"

* * *

"Think you can get into the Tothian Mine field, Laredo?" Peter asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Laredo asked, head turned toward the commander.

"Can you get us close to the mines?" Peter asked.

Laredo gasped where a look of understanding came on his face then a grin spread on his face.

"I can try, Commander." Laredo said, turning his head back in the direction of the screen.

The Protector flew along the Tothian Mines. From behind Sarris's ship is being pelted by the mines striking the wing blades. The firing from Sarris's ship had stopped. The Protector flew out of the field landing on the other side of the field with Sarris's ship close behind. The screen glowed to life to display a ugly Sarris, a Fatu-Krey, with a menacing frown. Peter stared right back at the general.

"Are you ready to surrender?" Sarris asked.

"I will never surrender," Peter said. "Never give up, against you."

"You are a stubborn human being." Sarris noted.

Peter grinned, as the Protector darted out of the Tothian mine field.

"I will take that as a compliment, General." Peter said.

"You will regret ever helping the Thermians." Sarris said.

"I believe not," Peter said. "Turn the ship around, Laredo,and let her loose."

"Aye, Commander." Laredo said.

Sarris had a confused reaction on his face.

"Already on the verge of suicide?" Sarris asked.

Peter looked toward the screen with a grin.

"No," Peter said. "I got mines. What you got? Right, slow reacting Fatu-Krey."

The _Protector_ flew to the left darting out of the way. Sarris's eyes grew wide then he headed toward a machine across from the view screen. The other Fatu-Krey stood there contemplating what to do next. A few were already putting their arms up to defend themselves from the oncoming triangle exploding onslaught. Our view returned inside the _Protector_. Sarris's large vessel exploded.

"We did it!" Roc cheered.

"Yes!" Laredo cheered.

"Burn in hell, Sarris." Peter said to himself.

"By Grabthar's hammer, we live to tell the tale." Lazarus said, pleased.

"You have saved us." Quellek said, leaning along the side of Martinsar.

Peter looked over with a smile toward Quellek then back toward Laredo.

"Take us home, Laredo." Peter said.

"Aye, Commander." Laredo said.

The _Protector_ dived in through the wormhole.


	22. Prevention

"Strange," Tawny said. "There was a massive power surge from Sarris's ship."

"That is unusual." Lazarus said.

Peter got up from his chair then turned toward the Thermians. They were all beaming, brightly. He saw the door open to the command deck to reveal Chen holding what seemed to be a plasma pistol in his hand. Peter raised a brow approaching Chen while Laredo was sighing in relief that they made it okay through the wormhole. Lazarus's shoulders had relaxed. Tawny was confused at this strange log on the computer screen.

"Hey Chen," Peter said, approaching Chen. "You can drop the plasma pistol."

Chen raised the plasma pistol at Peter's chest then pressed the trigger.

 **B-blast**.

Peter landed on the ground feeling a hot burn in his chest and his heart, oh god, it was burning up! Terrible hot wrenching pain. He could feel the hot wrenching pain occupied by what felt like metal plunged into his chest. Peter's head faced the direction of Roc's station. Lazarus could feel the pain instantly, but he knew Peter wouldn't live long, as he at first leaned forward on his science station. Lazarus's eyes darted from his station to the left where the commotion was coming from. Lazarus saw Peter resting on the floor while Sarris was on his rampage.

"Peter!" Lazarus shouted turning away from his station.

The Mak'Tars eyes rested on Sarris with conviction.

Lazarus lunged toward Chen with a pained vicious expression. Chen then turned into Sarris dropping a rounded item to the floor and shot at the Mak'Tar. The Mak'Tar collapsed to the floor, dead, lifeless. Sarris aimed his plasma pistol at every Thermian in the room one by one firing the fatal shots. Bodies collapsed to the floor landing on their sides and some on their backs. Laredo started to get up but he too was shot down by Sarris. Peter dragged himself to the chair. Peter shared a look over to Quellek who was beside a dead Martinsar.

"Quellek,activate Omega 13." Peter said.

A rather shirt Thermian tacked Sarris to the ground.

"Get off my you overgrown squid!" Sarris snapped, punching a hole into the Thermian's chest taking out what could be arguably their most important organ coated in blue liquid.

Quellek went over to the station then he pressed a few buttons then he did a hand print.

On the right hand part of the arm rest a metal part retracted.

 **B-Blast!**

 _Th-Thump_ went Quellek's body to the floor.

The view screen displayed Earth oncoming, quickly, and not very reassuringly.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Roc got onto the back of Sarris making him turn away from Commander. "Stop hitting yourself, crybaby!" Roc made Sarris hit himself multiple times getting further and further away from Peter. "Stop hitting yourself!"

Sarris flipped over Roc to the ground then fired the plasma pistol multiple times into Roc's chest.

"Long enough to correct one mistake," Peter said, his hands wrapped around the handle. "Let's do this." He looked over toward Sarris. "You attacked the wrong ship."

Peter pulled down the switch.

Blue bubbles appeared all over the place and time froze momentarily where one bubble was right above Peter's hand. Sarris was frozen in place heading in the direction of Peter aiming the plasma pistol at the commander's head. Tawny's body was laid on the floor staring in the direction of Laredo's station. Lazarus's body was on the floor with his eyes aimed at the direction of the doors. Quellek's body was slumped against the control consoles. Martinsar's body was on the floor. Laredo was on the floor beside his station with his eyes aimed at Lazarus's station. The bodies of Thermians were decorated around the command deck. Then all the bubbles moved forwards right into the center.

* * *

Peter was back in the chair, everyone alive for now, unhurt.

"Strange," Tawny said. "There was a massive power surge from Sarris's ship."

Peter got up from his chair then headed in the direction of the doors.

"That is unusual." Lazarus said.

The doors opened to reveal Chen who stepped out of the doorway holding a plasma pistol.

 _Not_.

 _This_.

 _Time_.

Peter delivered a hard punch to Chen's face then a sharp punch to chest followed by the Chen-look-alike falling over to the floor.

"Peter!" Tawny shouted, as she and Roc separated Peter from Chen. "What is up with you?"

"That is Sarris!" Peter said. "He is going to kill us!"

The-Chen-look-alike dropped the appearance generator dropping it to the floor where it broke into pieces. Roc looked over to see Sarris being the source of the sound. Tawny let go then saw what was bringing their attention. Quellek picked up his crutch approaching Sarris, his grip tightening around the handle, as the three were paralyzed. He then, golfing style, swung the crutch below Sarris knees knocking him down to his knees then struck him at the head and hit him twice with the crutch.

"And stay down." Quellek said, swinging the crutch over his shoulder looking down toward Sarris.

"Nice swing." Tawny said.

"Commander, the auto-pilot is stuck!" Laredo said.

"If this ship goes down in together then there will be no chance of survival," Martinsar said. "We must separate."

"I would like to visit Earth sometime," Quellek said. "Perhaps we will visit sometime after our procreation boom."

"I would not be bothered by such a visit." Lazarus said.

"You will LOVE the beaches, Quellek!" Laredo said.

Peter nodded to Martinsar.

"You have the lower half," Peter said. "Martinsar."

"But-" Martinsar started to say but Peter cut him off.

"Someone has to command this part down to Earth." Peter said.

Martinsar closed his mouth then he nodded.

"We will contact you for when the operation is prepared." Martinsar said.

Martinsar spoke in Thermian to the rest of the Thermians in the room. The Thermians evacuated the command deck. Our view pans over to the outside where the top half, being the primary command deck, ejected from the _Protector II_. The lower half of the _Protector II_ flew into orbit around the planet and came to a cause while the primary command deck being the shape of a saucer flew down. Our view pans back into the primary command deck. We see Chen digitize at a tech station appearing to be unfazed raising both eyebrows. His eyebrows shot even higher at the sight of Sarris who was unconscious on the floor.

"Hang on!" Laredo said, as the ship dove through the atmosphere. "Damn it, why don't you cooperate with me?"


	23. Landing

Our scene turns down into Starsearcher Academy into a lecture room with rows of seats, a stage, purple curtains, and a LED screen at the back. We can see some of the cadets here are getting impatient. A few of them are listening to music using small items plugged into their ears and nodding their heads pretending to be listening to their partner who is excited about listening to the legendary Peter Taggart. Our focus goes into the front of the array of seats where a certain group catches our attention.

"Where is the retired commander?" Cadet Toyota Zuhura asked, sitting down in a chair.

"Likely assimilating the presentation," Cadet Shirk of The Tulvan race said. He had light purple skin, a pair of four eyes that were spider like, including fangs that stuck out like vampire fangs, and his hair was dark with fine little hair on his shoulders. There was something definitely odd about him. He had light blue eyes and freckles. "This lecture about being a leader is a requirement in the commander's exam."

"The Hikaru Chulu is the most . . .er." Zuhura said.

"Challenging?" Shirk asked, raising a eyebrow leaning forward.

"No, I have heard it is the most 'annoying' and 'scary' exam." Zuhura said.

Shirk leaned back with a frown.

"I actually heard it is a test to see how much trust the commander could have with his/her Lieutenant Commander and his surrounding officers," Came Tavel Russiove, beside Shirk. "My class is part of the helmsmen and being helmsmen is very important to a starship and the commanding officer. If the Commander then Lieutenant Commander is out then it falls to the lieutenant to take command of the bridge."

"There is normally more than one lieutenant on a ship, cadet." Shirk said.

"I realize that," Russiove said. "I just need to be prepared in case someone mentions a Taggart leadership move."

Zuhura had a short laugh shaking her head.

"The commander must be having a better time than us waiting here," Zuhura said.

Shirk folded his arms with a sigh.

"Hope he is." Shirk said.

* * *

Roc had the large disruptor pistol aimed at the direction of Sarris.

"Uh, Commander," Roc said. "What if he wakes up?"

"Shoot him dead." Peter said.

Roc looked back over toward the unconscious figure of Sarris.

"Okay." Roc said, turning the disruptor pistol over to check on the disruptor fuel and then he looked back toward Sarris noticing a tinge of movement.

Sarris's eyes flickered open and he started to get up, Roc repeatedly pressed the trigger aiming it at Sarris. "Damn, why must this always happen?" Sarris tossed the human male across from him then lunged in the direction of the commander. Roc let go of the empty plasma pistol letting it fall to the ground. Peter got out of the chair then threw the first punch at the ugly praying mantis Fatu-Krey resembling alien right at the nose. Sarris stepped back at first then the general struck the next blow (or at least tried to) narrowly missing the commander's head. Peter flinched using his forearms for defense but pushed back the Fatu-Krey then delivered a upper cut into Sarris's chest hurling the Fatu-Krey over.

Sarris regained his footing.

And he lacked his disruptor pistol.

* * *

"A African American commander," Zuhura said. "But a woman? That is history making!"

"Actually, there are countless African American commanders-" Shirk started but Zuhura interrupted.

"All of which were men." Zuhura said.

"Most women were not able to reach the captain's chair because they were not proud of their gender and did not embrace who they were, hence, making them less . . ." Shirk noted. "Professionally fit." Zuhura jabbed Shirk in the elbow. "Ow!" Shirk's long fingers wrapped around his right shoulder looking back at her with hurt in his eyes. "That _hurt_."

"I will be the first woman of color to be a captain." Zuhura said.

"Zuhura," Shirk said. "There was a Latino female captain commanding the _Excellencia_."

Zuhura glared in the direction of Shirk.

"Why do you need to know about the unimportant captains?" Zuhura asked.

"Captain Falicia was the one who discovered my species being the Tulvanians on the planet Tulvan that is roughly twice the size of planet Earth," Shirk said. "She was the one one to shake the hand of my maternal grandfather Lowlek. You are,unlike many women before you, quite suitable to be a commander."

"Awww, that's sweet of you, Shirley." Zuhura said.

Suddenly there was a crash from the stage. The cadets shielded themselves, but mostly Shirk acted as a shield for Zuhura with his backside facing the rubble that collapsed from the ceiling. He turned away once the commotion had ended appearing to have some dust in his perfectly raven black hair except for pieces of ceiling on his head. The cadets coughed looking in the direction of what was apparently part of a starship that had burn marks all over the place, inward dents, shattered windows, and it seemed as though this had quite the punch on the ship. The doors, that still operated, opened up to reveal a tumbling figure the first being Roc.

The announcer was on stage, puzzled, but surely recognized him.

"Lieutenant Victor Rockwell Ingersol," The announcer, Phil Hardy said. "Give him applause!"

Without hestiation there were some clapping as Roc stumbled forward squinting his eyes at the large crowd of cadets who were sitting down. Roc had a small smile as he went over to the side where his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in brightness from space to Earth. Next came Tawny.

"Lieutenant Tawny Madison!" Hardy said.

There were more cheers as she appeared to have gone through hell, her jacket torn at the sides, and her hair a mess! Tawny had a little wave at the crowd of cadets. Zuhura blinked taking in the scenery that was very unfamiliar. What wouldn't be familiar? A starship that crashed into the academy, that's what. Russiove stood up whistling and clapped. Out came Chen who seemed to be otherwise fine, his jacket zipped down to the middle of his chest, and he came over to the two.

"Tech Sergeant Chen!" Hardy said.

Russiove sat back down joining the applause.

"Hi." Chen said with a weak pathetic wave.

Out came Laredo.

"Lieutenant Laredo, the legendary and youngest helmsmen in NSEA history!" Hardy boomed.

The cadets went wild as Laredo's eyes squinted at the crowd shielding his eyes.

"What a welcome back." Laredo said, going to the side. Laredo seemed to be relieved to be back on the ground, which he practically then kissed the floor repeatedly. "I love you, Earth. I love you, Earth. I love you, Earth!" Roc came over and had to help Laredo up as the dark man cried out to the crowd, "I love Earth!"

Out came Peter with the help of Lazarus, with one of Peter's arms wrapped around the Mak'Tars shoulder appearing to be injured.

"Semi-retired Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, and his most trusted friend Doctor Lazarus!" Hardy said.

The crowd went wild.

Peter had a short wave at the crowd as Lazarus moved away from the starship. Then a figure came out of the starship holding a disruptor pistol with a grunt. Peter took out Lazarus's plasma pistol then set it to lethal mode and fired it at Sarris. He pressed the trigger. A streak of red beaming struck Sarris. The Fatu-Krey had a final silent scream, his head tilted up toward the ceiling, and his body vanished into thin air. The cadets stood up making a applause. This had to be some announcement that the Protector crew were returning to space for all the cadets were concerned.


	24. Starry night

It was dark out this night outside Lazarus's house. There were questions, many of course, mainly concerning who and what the alien was. Lazarus now knew what Peter must have felt being asked a annoying question over and over again. He was outside sitting on a lawnchair of spikes aimed at the sky with a cupholder of spikes clutched around a cup. The chair was right across from the outside pool that had a body of water that made the darkness a little brighter. He heard the door bell ring.

"I will get it!" T'Spol said.

Lazarus took a sip of his drink through a straw then he put it back down into the cupholder.

"Oh, hello," T'Spok said. "Commander."

"You look a lot like your brother." Came Peter's voice.

"Thank you," T'Spol said, sounding as though she is stepping to the side. "My brother is outside."

Lazarus heard Peter walk in with a limp, his left foot steady, his right foot not-that-much. Quehal was outside curled up in a ball fast asleep purring beside Lazarus's chair. The porch door was open. Out of the house came Peter, a small smile on his face, and he seemed more relaxed than he had been in years. It was as though he was young again. His blue eyes were lighter than the pool, gentler, really. Friendly? Yes. Kind? Of course. Wiser? Yes.

"I am going up there with the Thermians," Peter said. "Six hundred. . ."

"But wasn't there four hundred?" Lazarus said.

"Martinsar explained to me that just because it seems there is four hundred, there is more than that." Peter said.

Lazarus looked over toward Peter with a raised arched eyebrow.

"Did you tell anyone else you are leaving?" Lazarus asked.

"I canceled my other lectures," Peter said, hand in his pocket. Lazarus took that as a yes. "Martinsar told me it would take a year to find a suitable M class planet. Maybe more." He approached the pool of water taking out his vox. "I told them I would help and I intend to keep my word." He looked over toward Lazarus. "But I can't get that video off my mind. I just can't. Where did Sarris get it?"

Lazarus got up then approached Peter.

"Logically," Lazarus said. "He must have picked up on a transmission coming from a hole in time within space."

Peter turned his head away shaking his head.

"What if he was right?" Peter asked, in a low voice. "We are not real." He looked down toward the pool. "Never were. Just fakes."

"Peter. . ." Lazarus said, putting one hand on Peter's shoulder. "Either way, we proved him wrong. You are real as day speaking with me." He took his hand off Peter's shoulder. "Those people are not us. They pretend to be us for the sake of entertainment in this other world. A world that may have had a hand in creating our universe. Theoretically our worlds are inspired to exist by other universes. Created from a grain of sand. From wood." He pointed toward the stars. "From the constellations." He pointed to a constellation. "What does that one look like?"

Peter squinted.

"A weird garden shovel." Peter said.

"And that?" Lazarus said, pointing to another constellation.

"A tray with a saucer." Peter said.

Lazarus lowered his hand down

"You see,Peter," Lazarus said. "There could be a universe where there are such starships designed that way. Our universes are separated and never meant to touch, interact, but they do get bruised. When two bubbles collide, they bruise each other." Peter's eyes widened. "Our universe has been bruised more than three times."

"The possibilities. . ." Peter said. "Hey," His eyes caught the shape of a constellation. "That one looks like a batter beater with a rounded ball. . . That would be a interesting starship."

"That would be illogical to design a starship like that." Lazarus said.

"And that constellation looks like a jellyfish with a strange design." Peter said.

"I see the jellyfish." Lazarus said.

Peter turned his head toward Lazarus.

"I am getting the heart tonight," Peter said. "The heart reproduction has been completed."

"I am happy for you," Lazarus said. "This adventure. . . has . . . made me to reconsider. I have allowed my sister to have the memories of our ancestors and the lessons from the Mak'Tar Academy. She took it well."

Peter raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were taking it slow with her." Peter said.

Lazarus shook his head.

"This adventure reminded me life is short," Lazarus said. "And I will not always be there for her."

Peter lowered his eyebrow.

"So you mind melded with her." Peter said.

Lazarus nodded.

"Yes." Lazarus said.

Peter flipped open his Vox.

"Prepare for one pod." Peter said.

"Yes, Commander." Came Neru's voice over the Vox.

Peter briefly closed his eyes and started to fall forward. Lazarus, quick as he was, became close to Peter letting the commander land on the Mak'Tar's chest and Lazarus's arms landed on Peter's backside. The Mak'Tar closed his eyes ever so briefly then he reopened them. Lazarus had made his choice hours ago. He was only waiting for Peter.

"I love you, Peter." Lazarus said, as a white pad appeared underneath them.

Our scene backtracks into the household where T'Spol is doing some of her schoolwork. She heard the sound of what seemed like something had lifted off. She ran outside only to see a gray darting figure headed toward the stars. Quehal got up looking around confused at the sudden sound of a life off. T'Spol had a smile growing on her face as she looked upon the stars standing across from the burning cement that had a rounded shape.

In the mind meld, T'Spol had seen the intentions her brother had for this mass of lessons being spilled upon her and the history of her race. Pictures of their family before they were annihilated by the Meechan race including their home planet. Throughout her childhood, she would catch her brother looking at the night sky or in the blue sky. Almost as though he was yearning to return right into space where he left off. He had missed it.

Quehal was now staring at the sky as T'Spol was.

"Take care of yourself, brother." T'Spol said.

It made perfect sense why he had told his sister she would be staying with Aunt Madison for awhile.


	25. Epilogue

**. . . 2400. . .**

 **. . . August 17th. . . 7:48 AM. . .**

"Aunt, I am going into Starsearcher academy." T'Spol said.

"But you are only fifteen!" Tawny said.

"The younger we get to the academy, the more likely chance we will learn quicker," T'Spol said. "I am likely to be alone with you being assigned to a new ship starting today."

Tawny had recently accepted the promotion to becoming Lieutenant Commander.

Chen had gotten a new rank.

Staff Sergeant.

And he was so happy about that, too!

Though he preferred to be called Sergeant.

Tech Staff Sergeant was a mouthful to say, Chen claimed.

"I don't even know what the name of the ship is," Tawny said. "Or who my captain is."

T'Spol had her belongings packed. Her Quehal had died a few months ago due to a hover-car accident when it shoved her out of the way and took the massive fatal blow. T'Spol was crying, that day, and Tawny was there for her. They grieved together for the death of the Quehal. Though days afterwards, Tawny would find the shape of a large furry ball curled at the foot of T'Spol's bed being solid and visible to her eye. The next second it was gone.

"It is going to be just fine, Aunt Madison." T'Spol said, wheeling what luggage she had from out of her temporary room.

"Do you have the portable spike bed?" Tawny said.

"Yes." T'Spol said.

"Do you have your clothes packed?" Tawny asked.

"Yes." T'Spol said.

"Birth control?" Tawny asked.

T'Spol raised a slanted eyebrow.

"Birth. . . control? Why would I need that?" T'Spol asked.

"Nevermind." Tawny said.

"Humans are weird." T'Spol said, lowering her eyebrow.

Tawny nodded, adding "So are the men."

"Do you have everything packed?" Tawny said.

"Yes," T'Spol said. "All in one luggage."

Tawny narrowed her eyebrows.

" _One_ luggage? Missy, you need more than _one_ luggage!" Tawny darted into the room to see a messy bedroom with her belongings all over the place. Her portable bed of spikes were covered by T'Spol's attire. "T'Spol!" The house rattled while the endless hall echoed back Tawny's voice into the living room. "I KNEW YOU DIDN'T PACK ANYTHING!"

T'Spol fought back a smile but it won out and she had a sigh of relief then turned back in the direction of her room and headed back in.

Safe to say she orchestrated this.

* * *

 **. . . 2400. . .**

 **. . . August 17th. . . 12:48 PM. . .**

"Chen?" Tawny said, recognizing the man in the line boarding the surface pod.

Chen turned away from the surface pod.

"Ah, Tawny!" Chen said, his expression turned into a happy one. "Nice to see you again."

Tawny came over to the side of the surface pod then she came back to the back end puzzled and turned her head in the direction of Chen.

"You are assigned to the same ship, too?" Tawny asked, her hands around the portable luggage she had opted to take aboard the ship while her other belongings be digitized to the ship. She had opted to meet her crewmates first rather than being digitized to the ship. She had her eyebrows raised.

"Yes." Chen said.

Tawny lowered her eyebrows and Chen got inside the surface pod. She heard a pair of familiar voices heading her way. She looked over to see there being Laredo and Roc, hand in hand, both wearing wedding rings. Roc appeared as though he had recently shaved but decided to keep his goatee. Laredo looked over in the direction of Tawny with a wave. Why were the crew of the Protector being assigned to a different ship?

"Hey Tawny!" Laredo said.

The two couple had their belongings towed in their free hands.

"Why this is a surprise." Roc said.

"You are going too?" Laredo asked.

"I am," Tawny said. "You finally tied the knot."

"My parents had one objection to our wedding," Roc said. "They did not want NSEA genetic engineers to attend it."

"Congratulations!" Tawny said.

"I _finally_ got myself a last name," Laredo said. "Laredo Ingersol!"

Tawny raised her eyebrows as Roc put in their belongings into the side compartment.

"You didn't have a last name all this time?" Tawny said.

"Affirmative," Laredo said. "I was named after the L.A.R.E.D.O. Program."

Tawny raised an eyebrow as they went into the surface pod.

"I never heard of the program." Tawny said.

"Language Archeology Existential Deficiency Operation," Laredo said, going into the front right into the pilots chair. "It was really popular in the 22nd century." He sat down down into the chair then turned on the auto-pilot mode. They saw two other crew members in purple uniforms coming over without any belongings. "I only know of it because the head genetic engineer told me when I was eight about who and what I was, also how important I was to NSEA." Tawny recognized these two as Tulvans both of whom were science officers. "Which I still remember to this day."

Tawny sat down into the seat then buckled herself in.

"That is interesting." Tawny said.

Laredo looked over toward Tawny.

"You heard anything from them?" Laredo asked.

Tawny shook her head.

"Not at all," Tawny said, her voice low. "I miss them."

The two science officers sat down into the back, where Lazarus and Peter would sit. She looked over her shoulder toward the two Tulvans who were sharing a light hearted conversation about who their captain may be. Tulvans were excellent listeners and obeyed the rules that were set. Just like the example that Lazarus set. Tawny turned her head away lowering her head toward her hands set on her lap. The door behind the two Tulvans shut. T'Spol reminded Tawny of Lazarus. Lazarus hadn't told her that he was leaving his sister with her for a year plus more. Nor did he call Tawny after Peter paid her a visit before heading over to Lazarus's place. Lazarus didn't answer his Vox that day. In fact, T'Spol came with her brother's Vox claiming he left with Peter " _To the stars. Where he belongs_."

Either one of the two Tulvan science officers could be the head science officer on the starship.

"Sometimes I try to call Lazarus and all I get is a static reply," Laredo said. "Then I am reminded they are missing. Purposely."

"Not even NSEA knows where they've gone," Tawny said. "If they knew, they would have told us."

"NSEA would tell us!" Laredo said. "They _never_ keep secrets."

The two Tulvans were Shruk and T'Vienne.

"There are known occurrences were the NSEA lies for the safety of the planet," T'Vienne said. "So you are wrong."

"She is correct," Shruk said. "The first encounter between our races was deemed classified for fifty-two years on our planet before the leaders of our planet bothered coming over and joining the Galactic Peace Accord."

The surface pod's landing gear lifted up.

"Lifting off." Laredo said.

"I can't want to meet the commander!" T'Vienne said, her hands clutched around her seatbelt.

* * *

The surface pod went through the atmosphere. Ever since seeing Lazarus and Peter together for the first time in year,as natural as they were, it was reassurance that everything would be fine. Just them together by each others side was enough evidence. It made her feel better, honestly. She had kept contact with Lazarus for the past fourteen years but this year: it was like Lazarus fell off the grid. All together. Seeing them together reminded Tawny how she missed them. Seeing Lazarus without Peter felt odd and unusual, not quite right, but she was always glad to see him.

"Oh my god," Laredo said, suddenly. "It is her!"

Tawny's attention turned toward the screen where they could all see a replica of the Protector in spaceport. It was balled: NTA- 3120, NSEA- _Protector III_. NTA stood for New Terra Engineering. Their jaws came to a open while a gasp escaped from the two Tulvans. Roc had a groan, muttering "Oh no, not the Thermians again" almost as though he had expected for this to have been created by the Thermians. Chen had a smile on his face seeing the old girl in tact. Laredo piloted the ship right into the surface pod bay where there were other officers getting out. They were the last of the officers to be brought aboard the ship.

The back end retracted.

Tawny unbuckled herself, got her belongings, and went out of the surface pod.

"What's up with her?" Shruk asked.

"Maybe she has to use the ladies room." T'Vienne said, with a shrug.

* * *

After finding her quarters and putting her luggage beside the desk, Tawny immediately went out of her quarters then strolled down the hallway. The design of the hallways were different: the shade was darker, the once brighter colors were duller, and she could almost see her reflection in the floor. She was joined by Laredo and Roc both heading to the command deck. She had a inkling, or rather,a guess of who the commander might be. Tawny could hear her heart beating.

"I am chief of security," Roc said. "I must know who the commander is."

"I am dying to know who he/she is." Laredo said.

"I have a feeling who it might be." Tawny said.

"NSEA would have told us." Roc said.

"They never said a word about building a new Protector." Tawny said.

"Good point." Chen said, suddenly appearing behind them.

"Nice that you could join us, Chen." Tawny said.

"Guys like me who are the head of the technology department must meet the men who's going to break them." Chen said.

The doors opened to reveal the command deck that seemed as though it had been left intact, virtually rebuilt. Tawny saw a familiar nurse by the captain's chair with her arms folded, her hair brown and short, she had hazel eyes, and African American. She had a gray uniform with blue shoulder pads. She had her eyes narrowed down upon the figure sitting down in a chair with a set of hair that seemed to be clearly cut with precision. The group came into the command deck.

"Commander, Doctor Zirenge has concerns about Lazarus's health." Nurse Church said.

"He is fine, Nurse," Peter said. "He is a Mak'Tar. If he were pregnant again he would have told me. Which I doubt he is."

Nurse Church sighed.

"Henry must have his shots before we break orbit from Earth," Nurse Church said. "Doctor's orders."

"Which doctor?" Peter asked.

"Both." Nurse Church said.

"And Lazarus has just recently been there for Henry to get the shots in the medical quarters," Peter said, earning a raised eyebrow from Nurse Church. "Sometimes you just gotta love a fatherly doctor," He smiled then shook his hand. "We have a bond: that is how I know." He took the padd from her hand then he signed it with a pen and handed it back to her. "There's my signature for the shot."

Nurse Church went past the crew holding the padd in her hand then went out the door.

"Peter?" Tawny said.

Peter turned the chair in the direction of his crew with a grin.

"Nice to see that you could make it!" Peter said. "Do you like _Protector_ the third?" He waved his hand to the side with his elbow on the arm rest. "They were already building her last year! They just had to change the label." He had a short laugh standing up from his chair walking forward. Roc fell back fainting with a thud on the floor. "Now," Peter came to a stop spreading his arms out with a smile. "I know you are _dying_ for a group hug."

What many crewmembers on the bridge would say is that he was given a group glomp to the floor more than a decent hug. Peter, however, was amused. So amused that he had a good light hearted laugh. He had a human heart under his chest lacking the metal brace that surrounded his miracle partial heart that had managed to beat. He was no longer the subject of pain by the metal brace. In fact the metal brace was destroyed shortly after being taken out of his chest including the partial heart. The group got back up then Laredo went over to Roc's side and he shook the man awake.

"Where have you been for the past year, Peter?" Tawny asked.

"Finding a new home planet for the Thermians," Peter said. "Settling takes a lot of work and the natives," He shook his head. "Biased natives," He had a sigh. "They were the most difficult race I ever came across. The new home planet is Alpha point twenty-zero-thirty. Though the NSEA refers to it as New Thermia."

"And why didn't you contact us?" Chen asked.

"We were very busy, Chen," Peter said. "Negiotating peace, raising a child, helping the Thermians build their new housing, and the Voxes didn't work with sending messages to you guys so we were lucky NSEA was able to get Lazarus's messages. We just got back last week via surface pod. Or what remained of a surface pod."

"No wonder I heard static." Tawny said.

Laredo helped Roc up.

"Congratulations on your marriage, Mr and Mr Ingersol," Peter took out a pair of long wide boxes from out of no where. "I bought this for you two."

The pair ripped open the boxes and took out a pair of electronic guitars with jaws dropped.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodiloveitiloveitiloveitiloveit!" Laredo said.

"Guitarheroguitars! Guitarheroguitars!" Roc said, with speed.

"Thankyoucommander, thankyou,thankyou,thank you!" Laredo said, shaking the hand of Peter quickly.

"Letstakethesetoourquarters!" Roc said.

"YES!" Laredo said.

The pair left with their trash and guitars out of the command deck.

"How the hell did you know they liked guitar hero?" Chen asked.

"I didn't." Peter said.

Through the doors came Lazarus with a little one year old boy by his side. The little boy darted over Peter with a squeal, "Daddy!" Peter picked up the little boy into his arms. Tawny gasped. The little boy was a human with curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and it seemed as though he resembled both parents but he had the distinctive facial features of both parents. The arched eyebrows of Lazarus. The cheeks of Peter. Lazarus's nose. Peter's eyes. Human set of ears.

"This is Henry William Taggart," Peter said. "He is soo human."

"Dad told me we are go-eeng spelunk-eeng." Henry said.

"There is a major difference between spelunking and exploring, Lazarus!" Peter said.

"Awww, I can't tell which one of you he resembles." Tawny said.

"And he is one year old." Chen said, in shock.

"He resembles Peter," Lazarus said. He turned his head in the direction of Tawny with a smile. "Hello Tawny."

"I got my flu shot,daddy," Henry said, pulling his right sleeve up to his shoulder where a band-aid is shown. "I was a brave little boy." Peter rolled down the sleeve. "Who are they?"

"These are two of the people I told you about," Peter said. "Tech Staff Sergeant Chen-"

"Sergeant Chen." Chen said.

"Sergeant Chin," Henry said. "Kool name."

Chen raised an eyebrow at Peter.

"Lieutenant Commander Tawny Madison." Peter said, gesturing over toward Tawny.

There was a look of recognition on Henry's face.

"Daddy told me stories about you when were you were captured," Henry said. "He doesn't give your face the justice it deserves."

Tawny looked over toward Peter with a horrorfied facial expression.

"You did not do that!" Tawny said, as Chen went over to the tech station where it was virtually upgraded and new.

The room was slightly darker than it had been before on the Protector II. There were blue lights on the surrounding stations that were not set in the middle of the room as Laredo,Lazarus,and Tawny's were. Chen reviewed the technology aboard the ship: the projection deck, the digital conveyor room, Lazarus's personal lab, the armory, rec room,engine room, meeting room, medical quarters, and so on. Lazarus went over to his station then began to activate it using a code.

"I did," Peter said. "But I had to make the story PG-13 so I didn't describe you _perfectly_. What kind of father would I be to tell my son a. . ." He covered Henry's ears. "Rated _R_ mission?"

"A terrible father." Tawny said, her arms folded.

Peter unplugged Henry's ears then he put him down.

"Go ask Mr Chin about technology."

"Sure, daddy!"

Henry darted over to the technology station.

"Let's talk outside," Peter said. Tawny went out first. "Lieutenant Quellek,you have the bridge."

Lazarus turned from his station to see Quellek, grinning, at the helmsmen station.

"Hello, Doctor Lazarus!" Quellek said.

* * *

 **. . . Projection room. . .**

 **. . 13 minutes later. . . Projection: Balcony. .** .

"Did you ask NSEA to assign us here?" Tawny asked.

"No, not at all." Peter said.

Tawny turned away from the balcony then frowned facing Peter, hands on her hips, and a look of disbelief.

"Peter." Tawny said.

"Really!" Peter shook his hands. "I am not. I was surprised as you were, and, by the way how has T'Spol been?"

"Fine, despite losing her Quehal months ago," Tawny said, taking her hands off her hips then turned toward the Paris scenery. "She has entered Starsearcher academy."

Peter looked over toward the sprawling night lit city below.

"You know," Peter said. "We may come across a planet similar to Earth: beautiful lights, monuments, natural lights, and the beauty . . . Preferably, I like my friends to see it with Lazarus and I." He leaned his arms on the rail. "The Thermians had their young, like, super fast. Six months really. They are a fast reproducing bunch. I never seen such a fast baby boom a short amount of time. The baby boomers are taking care of them."

"And Martinsar?" Tawny asked.

"He named one of his clutch after his brother," Peter said. "You should have seen them. There were hundreds of them clung to their mothers and fathers!" He waved his right hand in the air dramatically. "It was a pretty sight to see." He had a smile on his face. "It can't be said as pretty. It was beautiful. I will never forget that." He looked over in the direction of Tawny. "You should have been there to see it."

"I can picture it." Tawny said.

"They were on the rocks," Peter said. "We were in a surface pod watching it with Quellek and Martinsar." He turned his head away from Tawny toward the sight. "Underwater." Tawny raised an eyebrow. "The planet is mostly covered in water and most of their time is spent in the water. It was at night. The planet does have a moon. A huge ass moon in fact!" His hands moved as he spoke exaggerating the size. "Quellek piloted the surface pod. We couldn't leave Henry at home alone. We saw the little guys hatch out of their white eggs then cling onto their parents. Multiple colored octopoidal babies changing colors. You know it was a lot like a light show or the aura lights."

Tawny nodded.

"It sounds beautiful." Tawny said.

"It was." Peter said.

"So who carried Henry?" Tawny asked.

"Lazarus. Turns out he has a uterus." Peter said.

"How was his pregnancy?" Tawny asked.

"It was fine." Peter said.

"A male pregnancy is not usually fine." Tawny noted.

"We had some scares," Peter said. "At one point our boy was growing a arm out of his head." Tawny gasped. "The body part vanished a few days later much as what Betzalar had assured us, and Lazarus assured me." He had a sigh lowering his head. "I was scared. For the longest time. . . of the baby getting a small head, distorted limbs, malformed, and then he came out as a healthy human baby boy."

Tawny gave Peter a hug.

"It is okay to be afraid, Commander." Tawny said.

"Thank you." Peter said, briefly closing his eyes.

* * *

 **. . . Two hours later. . .**

 **. . . Command deck. . .**

Peter was walking down the hall. This was the hour they departed Earth for a twenty-five year exploration in space and then, everyone would go their separate ways and Peter would command a different starship but with his most trusted partner Lazarus. He wouldn't command a starship without Lazarus. He felt excited about this voyage. One of the longest voyages in NSEA history.

"-Ready to go." The computer said.

Peter walked aboard the command deck, grinning, and it seemed he was at ease with himself completely.

"All systems ready to go,Commander." Tawny said, as Peter went into the Commander's chair.

Quellek was babysitting Henry.

"Take us out, Laredo." Peter said.

Laredo grinned, as Peter and Lazarus shared a glance together then back to the view screen.

"Ay, Captain," Laredo said, grabbing onto the bars. "Mark 2."

The _Protector III f_ lew out of the spaceport into space followed by a familiar ear friendly music then the starship zipped away leaving behind a trail of blue gassy like flakes. The spaceport started to darken. But somewhere, out there, on planet Earth there was a little boy camping outside his house beside a tent watching the night sky holding one action figure in his left hand with pointy ears, fine bowl hair cut, and Caucasian skin along with a second action figure that had blonde hair and hazel eyes in his right hand.

"Go _Protector III_!" The boy cheered,shortly after the moving light in the nightsky had vanished.

 _One day,I'll be up in space too_ , the boy thought looking up toward the nightsky with a hopeful look.

Just like his space idols.

 _Never give up, never surrender_.


End file.
